DNF Duel is getting revived with a big update later this year
Arc System Works and Eighting are looking to breathe life into their embattled fighter DNF Duel with some big changes coming as part of an update later this year. In addition to a slew of new characters, the game will receive several big system changes in the summer.
When DNF Duel—a fighting game based on Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter Online MMO action game—launched last year, it failed to garner a large competitive following due to a combination of balance issues and a lack of developer support. Even when it did get an update, it only received a small balance patch that left many within its community unsatisfied. (Read: REV Major 2022 reminded me of why I love fighting games and the fighting game community)
This all changed in December 2022 when the developers revealed that the game would be receiving a season pass with new characters. Now, at Arc System Works’s Arc Revo Finals, it was revealed that not only would the game be getting new characters, DNF Duel would also see a big update in the summer that’ll change how it plays.
Arc System Works and Eighting revealed DNF Duel’s new season pass roadmap. This will see the game receive three new characters and one new stage this year, and two more characters next year.
The first of these—the previously revealed Spectre—will arrive sometime in the summer. As part of the reveal, the developers released a new gameplay trailer for the Spectre. The video demonstrates some of her kit, including her ability to throw a zipline that allows her to move in eight directions, much like Nathan Spencer in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, another Eighting-developed fighting game.
Beyond that, developer Eighting is making big changes to DNF Duel’s systems as part of a future update.
Specifically, the update will introduce what has been tentatively named the “cube system.” This will allow players to select between two “cubes” that change how the game’s Awakening System works. The Gold Cube is the current system where Awakening activates only when the player is at critical health. The Clear Cube, on the other hand, allows the player to activate Awakening at 50 percent health but gives weaker buffs than with Gold.
As for when DNF Duel is getting this big update to its gameplay, a future update roadmap was also shown during the presentation.
As the roadmap shows, the first update arrives in the summer of 2023—likely alongside the Spectre. Whether or not the “Cube System” will arrive at the same time is unknown.
Regardless of whether or not DNF Duel’s big system update arrives in the summer, the two roadmaps demonstrate that Arc System Works and Eighting—alongside IP owner Nexon—are dedicated to keeping the game alive with future content drops and system updates.
Beyond these, the presentation also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch version of DNF Duel was still in the works.
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