Ken Miyauchi, producer of Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, recently spoke with esports.gg at Evo Las Vegas 2025. In an interview, he discussed the game’s direction and goals, his love for fighting games, and the upcoming release of guest character Lucy.
Miyauchi reflected on the evolution of the fighting game community (FGC), from its humble beginnings to the current level of excitement and accessibility today. He praised how players can now easily find opponents online, make friends, and meet up at major events like Evo.
As for Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, Miyauchi shared his background as a player who bridged communication between Japanese developers and overseas audiences. This experience proved vital in understanding the game’s target audience. “Incorporating differences in game design needs to be carefully considered,” he said, emphasizing the importance of targeting a specific audience.
Miyauchi also discussed how Japanese and American players differ in terms of growth, familiarity with games, and design preferences. Japanese players often grow up playing titles developed by Japanese creators, while American players favor more intuitive designs. These differences extend to game environments, with Japan focusing on offline play and the US prioritizing online play.
The Guilty Gear -STRIVE- team considered bringing a character from The Witcher series initially but ultimately chose Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners due to CD Projekt’s focus on The Witcher 4. Miyauchi emphasized the need for balance between competitive play and casual audiences, ensuring that the game remains approachable for new spectators and players.
Miyauchi confirmed that Lucy’s release date will be announced on August 3, along with a teaser for future updates. Fans can look forward to more interviews, news, and updates across the FGC on esports.gg.
Source: https://esports.gg/news/guilty-gear-strive-2/ken-miyauchi-interview-ggst-evo-las-vegas-2025