Gab Hernandez 
At EVO 2024, Guilty Gear Strive fans were surprised by the reveal of Dizzy, Venom, Dual Rulers’ Unika, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Lucy as Season 4 DLC fighters and estimated release dates for all of them.
Guilty Gear Strive is one of the most successful games developed by Arc System Works. It has broken several records for the Guilty Gear franchise, becoming the most-played and best-selling title in the franchise’s history. The DLC characters play a role in Strive’s long-term success, with the game steadily maintaining player counts above the peaks of Guilty Gear Xrd years after release.
The first three seasons of Guilty Gear Strive’s DLC have been met with much acclaim. Fans loved the plethora of fan favorites, particularly the redesigns for Strive, such as ABA and Elphelt Valentine. Season 4 was confirmed earlier in 2024, but fans finally have details on what to look forward to.
All Guilty Gear Strive Season 4 DLC characters, release dates
Arc System Works has confirmed the four DLC fighters for Guilty Gear Strive; Venom, Queen Dizzy, Unika, and Lucy.
Notably, Dizzy and Unika will play essential roles in the upcoming Guilty Gear: Dual Rulers anime. The anime trailer teased Unika as the main antagonist. Meanwhile, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Lucy will make history as the first-ever guest character in the Guilty Gear franchise. Here are the estimated release dates for all of Guilty Gear Strive’s Season 4 DLC characters, and who they are:
Queen Dizzy (October 2024 release date)
Queen Dizzy is technically a returning fighter, but the Guilty Gear X character is returning with a rebrand. She’s now dubbed “Queen Dizzy” and is specifically labeled as “Queen of Vialattea.” That’s notable as this location hasn’t been a part of Guilty Gear’s story but may be showcased in Dual Rulers.
Dizzy has received a significant redesign, leaving her thigh-highs behind for a more regal look. She still retains her distinctive divine appearance, albeit with a literal shoulder angel and devil.
Venom (Early 2025 release date)
Guilty Gear Strive Season 4’s second DLC fighter will also be a returning face, but without as much of a redesign. “The Phantom” returns with his signature pool cue and will seemingly have a similar kit to past games, at least thematically.
He likely won’t feel like the same character, though. Guilty Gear Strive is different enough from past games that Venom will likely need a major gameplay overhaul. It remains to be seen whether he will effectively become a second Jack-O who sets up a few impactful billiard balls on the stage, or if his move set goes in a new direction.
Unika (Spring 2025 release date)
Unika is a new character when it comes to Guilty Gear video games, but she’ll possibly be a returning character when her release time comes in Strive’s Season 4. That’s because Unika is the primary antagonist in the Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers anime.
It’s unclear how she fights, and it’s impossible to speculate what she’ll do as a result. Fans can expect lots of overlap between what she does in the show and her kit in the game. There is no firm release date for Unika in Guilty Gear Strive Season 4, or for the Dual Rulers anime. Fans will just have to hold tight for one or the other.
Lucy (Summer 2025 release date)
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Lucy will be the first guest character in Guilty Gear history. While she’s never been featured in a video game before, Edgerunners shows her gunslinging and using a weapon called the Monowire, which functions like a whip.
Notably, Lucy will not have alternate color options. Although Arc System Works has not revealed the reason, it’s likely something to do with licensing issues regarding the character’s appearance in other media.
Lucy opens the door for more guest characters in the Guilty Gear franchise. While Arc System Works has not revealed plans for other guest characters, the chances have risen astronomically.
Guilty Gear Strive adding 3v3 team fighting
Guilty Gear Strive now features a “Team of 3” mode that pits two teams of three against each other in online multiplayer.
The 3v3 battle system assigns each player to a role, either main or assist. Main players play as they normally would, while assist players can perform assisting actions to support the main player. This is a tag-fighting system similar to numerous other games including the Marvel vs Capcom series, King of Fighters from the early 2000s, and more.
The open beta test for Team of 3 mode begins on July 26 and ends on July 29, 2024. The goal is likely to fully release the game mode in Guilty Gear Strive Season 4.
Guilty Gear Strive Season 4 release date info
Guilty Gear Strive Season 4 begins on October 2024 with a major balance patch and the addition of Queen Dizzy. The exact release date has not yet been revealed.
2025 is set to be a big year for Guilty Gear. With Strive Season 4 and the Dual Rulers anime, the game may be set to continue for even longer than fans expected. While it wouldn’t have been surprising if Season 3 was the last, Season 4 adding a new game mode and getting packaged with an anime hints that there could even be a Season 5.
