Ah, DNF Duel; compared to Arc System Works’ other games like Guilty Gear Strive and BlazBlue Centralfiction, it’s a much newer game competitive-wise. That said, it did get a balance update last month centered on removing a few infinites and nerfing three characters; Hitman, Striker, and most notably, Swift Master.
On the topic of patches, at CEOtaku 2022 last night, it was announced that this game would have two upcoming updates planned throughout the remainder of 2022. These update announcements also have a video from DNF Duel director Ryousuke Kodani, which you can watch below.
Anyways, on the topic of the first patch. This update will focus on fixing various bugs and issues within DNF Duel outside its balance. it's slated to release within the next few days. These bugs include the screen locking up and freezing during online games and controller problems on the PC version. More bugfix patches could potentially come in the future.
The second update, scheduled to launch in late December, is a bit more intriguing. It’s a balance update, and to quote Kodani directly, he says, “Our direction is to add only buffs for all characters!” This could have some interesting ramifications for the DNF Duel’s meta and tournament scene and could have a character become top tier through that update. It still can be a breath of fresh air for some characters that need it.
Finally, director Kodani mentioned another project related to DNF Duel is happening, and it’ll take a while to finish. He was vague about it, and it could mean various things, such as netcode optimizations, public lobbies like Guilty Gear Strive, or the most interesting possibility: DLC fighters. We don’t know exactly what this will be, but we’ll continue to update as more information on DNF Duel’s future is released. DNF Duel is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
