So Guilty Gear Strive just dropped its massive Version 2.00 update on April 9th. And holy crap, it feels like they hit the reset button while keeping the same crazy anime energy.
They killed Wild Assault, added this new Counter Blitz thing, nerfed a bunch of snowball offense and tossed in Jam Kuradoberi as the shiny new Season 5 character. A few days later and the entire internet is already losing its mind trying to figure out who’s actually good now.
Based on my experience with the new version so far, here’s the most up-to-date Guilty Gear Strive 2.0 Tier List I can put together.
Quick Access:
Quick Context Before We Dive In
This patch is huge. They standardized a ton of frame data, slapped heavier proration on a lot of moves, made charge moves a little less painful, and basically told the game stop being so snowbally, you animal.
No big tournaments have happened yet (give it a week or two and the real bloodbath begins), so everything right now is basically educated guesses from patch notes and lab sessions.
The game feels noticeably less snowbally thanks to heavier proration and the new Counter Blitz mechanic, which is already creating some wild defensive moments. Players are still adapting, but characters with strong neutral and mix-up tools (like Chipp, Axl, and Nagoriyuki) appear to be benefiting the most so far
Winners & Losers of the 2.0 Patch
Based on the latest data, here’s a Guilty Gear Strive 2.0 Tier List (best and worst champs):
Big Winners (these guys are eating good):
- Axl Low
- Chipp Zanuff
- I-No
Other solid winners:
- Leo Whitefang
- Nagoriyuki (new move + adjustments)
- Giovanna
- Goldlewis Dickinson
- Lucy and Venom (the previous DLC kids who were kinda sad are finally getting some love)
Big Losers:
- Asuka R
- A.B.A
- Testament
Early impressions largely line up with pre-patch predictions: Axl, Chipp, and I-No remain big winners from the system changes. Pros are also highlighting Nagoriyuki (thanks to his new Yukimoyoi move and Blood Gauge adjustments), Leo, and Anji as looking exceptionally strong in real play. Jam Kuradoberi is already turning heads as a potent rushdown threat. On the loser side, Asuka, A.B.A, and Testament continue to feel the pain from the new defensive tools and proration change
Rough Early GGST 2.0 Tier List
Keep in mind that this is highly speculative. Once the first big tournaments hit, this list will probably look completely different. But here’s the current consensus:
S+ / God Tier (looking strongest in early play)
- Chipp Zanuff (huge winner + was already scary)
- Axl Low (biggest glow-up of the patch, many are calling this his best version yet)
- I-No (buffs + new system seem to love her)
High S / Strong Contenders (performing very well so far)
- Nagoriyuki (new tools and gauge management making him a standout)
- Leo Whitefang
- Potemkin (still excellent, maybe a tiny bit less oppressive)
- Giovanna
- Goldlewis Dickinson
- Anji Mito (rising fast in early impressions)
- Jam Kuradoberi (new character already showing high potential)
- Happy Chaos (got poked but remains annoying as hell)
- Ramlethal (mixed bag but still solid)
Version 2.0 New Character: Jam Kuradoberi
Jam is already making a strong impression. She brings back her classic fast, aggressive rushdown style with spicy new tools and card-powered kicks that hit hard up close. Early player feedback describes her as very strong and some are even calling her a day one menace who punishes poor defense brutally.
I place her somewhere in high A to low S, with the potential to climb higher once players fully lab her combos and pressure strings. She feels like she was designed for the old Strive offense, which makes her extra dangerous in the new balanced environment.
Guilty Gear Strive 2: A Fresh One
The game feels a bit more “trimmed down” and less ridiculous in some matchups, but some characters are still terrifying. I tried to provide the most logical Guilty Gear Strive 2.0 tier list and I’ll update the list whenever needed. For now, use it as a source someone with a lot of experience in GGST has been written it!
Let me know in the comments: who are you maining in 2.0? Did your character get buffed, nerfed, or just vibes-checked? Drop your predictions below. Stay scrappy out there.
FAQs
Who got the biggest buffs?
Axl Low, Chipp, and I-No are the huge winners.
Who got slammed hardest?
Asuka, A.B.A, and Testament took the biggest hits.
Where does Jam rank?
Too soon to say. She looks strong, probably high A or low S once people lab her.
Did the patch actually balance the game?
They tried. There’s less snowball offense, new Counter Blitz, but some characters still feel scary.
Should I drop my main?
Chill. Most characters are still fine. Lab a bit before you panic.
