We’ve got two major Samurai Shodown news that’s sure to keep the game’s lifeblood a-flowing.

First up, Basara’s got a release date. The tricky combo-equipped giant shuriken wielder will be shadow teleporting his way into the roster this 15th October.

So who’s left in the DLC pack? Kazuki will be out this November while Wan-Fu will be crashing in this December.

Second piece of news: the upcoming 1.30 update will be buffing up certain low-tier characters like Rimururu and Wu Ruixiang. The former will have a damage boost and faster startups for her moves, while the latter will gain faster attack startups and larger hitboxes.

The patch will also nerf Shizumaru’s “turn punch” Crazy Downpour move; its charge will reset when the player Rage Explodes or performs a Lightning Blade attack. He’s still a speedy shoto who hits pretty hard, so yay?

Full notes below.

General

• A new DLC character was added.
• Balances to character interactions during battle have been made.
• Fixed other minor issues and features.

Countering / Blade Catching
• Resolved an issue where at times it was possible to counter / blade catch an attack coming from behind.

Haohmaru

Standing Far Light Slash
• Reduced recovery frames

Standing Far Heavy Slash
• Hastened attack startup.

Jumping Heavy Slash
• Resolved an issue where it was difficult to hit opponents at the edge of the screen.

Advancing Light Slash
• Increased opponent knockback duration on hit.

Nakoruru

Crouching Medium Slash
• Altered so that upon block the player character enters a recoil state.

Hanzo Hattori

Jumping Heavy Slash
• Resolved an issue where it was difficult to hit opponents at the edge of the screen

Standing (Holding Forward) Kick
• Reduced recovery frames.

Advancing Kick
• Increased attack frames
• Attack now behaves the same regardless if a weapon is held or not

Ninja Exploding Dragon (Light, Medium, Heavy)
• Blast Reduced recovery frames.

Ninja Exploding Dragon Blast (During Max Rage)
• Increased time where this attack can be followed-up with another attack.

Ninja Mon Dance (Light, Heavy)
• Now has the same recovery frames as a normal jump upon landing regardless if one attacks or not.

Galford

Jumping Heavy Slash
• Resolved an issue where it was difficult to hit opponents at the edge of the screen.

Standing Kick
• Shortened the top of the hurtbox.

Advancing Kick
• Increased attack frames.
• Reduced recovery frames.

Rush Dog
• Hastened attack startup

Rush Dog (During Max Rage)
• Hastened attack startup.
• Increased damage.

Overhead Crash
• Increased damage
• Hastened attack startup
• Reduced recovery frames.

Kyoshiro

Dance of Fire (Light, Medium, Heavy)
• Changed so that the hitbox doesn’t disappear when trading with an opponent’s projectile.

Twisting Heavens (Light, Medium, Heavy)
• Added a lower hitbox which triggers on first attack frame.

Flesh and Blood Fandango
• Increased opponent downtime on hit.

Tam Tam

Ahau Teotihuacan
• Resolved an issue where, for a brief moment, Tam Tam was registered as “in-air” even after landing.

Genjuro

Reverse Five Flash Rip
• Resolved an issue where opponent’s are knocked out of Genjuro’s Reverse Five Flash Rip when hit by Cherry Blossom Slice during the attack animation.

Earthquake

Standing Far Heavy Slash
• Expanded hitbox of third attack backwards.

Fat Breath (light, medium, heavy)
• Changed so that the hitbox doesn’t disappear when trading with an opponent’s projectile.

Yoshitora

Advancing Medium Slash
• Resolved an issue where the hitbox would disappear mid-attack.

Yashamaru

Crouching Far Heavy Slash
• Increased opponent knockback duration on hit.

Darli Dagger

Standing Kick
• Increased opponent knockback duration on hit
• Increased opponent recovery frames on block.

Wu Ruixiang

Standing Far Light Slash
• Expanded the hitbox forward and upwards.

Standing Far Medium Slash
Crouching Close Heavy Slash
Crouching Far Heavy Slash
Jumping Light Slash
Jumping Medium Slash
• Hastened attack startup.

Standing Punch
• Hastened attack startup.
• Expanded the hitbox downwards
• Reduced recovery frames.

Crouching Punch
• Hastened attack startup.
• Reduced recovery frames.

Jumping Punch
• Hastened attack startup

Advancing Punch
• Expanded the hitbox downwards.

Standing Kick
• Increased opponent knockback duration on hit.
• Increased opponent recovery frames on block.

Black Tortoise Torrent (Medium)
• Expanded the hitbox downwards

Vermilion Bird Blaze (Light, Medium, Heavy, During Max Rage)
• Changed so that the hitbox doesn’t disappear when trading with an opponent’s projectile.

Kirin Earthen Rampage
• Increased hitbox on a successful counter

Rimiruru

Standing Far Light Slash
Standing Far Heavy Slash
• Hastened attack startup

Crouching Light Slash
• Increased attack frames.

Crouching Medium Slash
• Expanded hitbox forward.

Advancing Light Slash
• Now cancellable

Advancing Kick
• Hastened attack startup on second attack
• Can now cancel into Konru Shiraru during the rebound animation after the second hit.
• Reduced recovery frames (without weapon).

Konril Nonril
Konril Nonril (During Max Rage)
Rupu Tum (Light)
• Increased damage.

Rupu Tum (Medium)
• Increased damage.
• Expanded hitbox forward

Rupu Tum (Heavy)
• Increased damage.
• Expanded hitbox forward.
• Opponent now reacts the same as when hit by a crouching heavy slash.

Rupu Kuare・Nishi (light, medium)
• When an opponent guards between startup and the moment before the attack begins, their guard pose would be triggered and they wouldn’t be able to move. This has been changed to match the weapon-equipped version where their guard pose would not be triggered.

Rupu Kuare・Tu Tu
• Reduced recovery frames.
• Decreased opponent knockback duration on hit.
• Reduced opponent recovery frames on block.

Upun Orb (Light, Medium, Heavy)
• Changed so that it no longer hits from behind.

Shizumaru

Counter
• Resolved an issue when, in the case where a player is unarmed (by performing a Mist Blast, etc.), they could not cancel a kick into a counter even when the weapon returns.

Advancing Light Slash
• Resolved an issue where an opponent’s recovery frames from blocking this attack were longer compared to blocking the same attack by a different character

May Shower Slice
• Resolved an issue with Shizumaru’s model when an opponent is chipped to death at the edge of the screen.

Rains of Time
• Resolved an issue where Shizumaru will continue jumping on the opponent even after the time is up

Crazy Downpour
• Charging now resets whenever the player Rage Explodes or performs a Lightning Blade attack.
• Note: The intention was there to be a trade-off between Rage Bursting / Lightning Blades and charging Crazy Downpour by disabling the kick button as a way of charging. However, players were able to hold both a slash and the kick button to circumvent this, and so now the charge will automatically reset instead.
• Resolved an issue where the 2nd tier of this attack would trigger on release before the appropriate amount of time had passed

Demon Memory: Heaven’s Tears
• Resolved an issue where characters weren’t locked in place for this attack during certain conditions.