Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is Arc System Works' follow-up to the 2020 fighter, published by Cygames and released on 14 December 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The launch roster ran to 28 fighters, with Anila, Siegfried, Grimnir and Nier joining the 24 who came across from the first game. The defining change is Bravery Points, a three-point per round defensive resource that Raging Strikes, Brave Counters and Skybound Arts all pull from.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best characters, weapons worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Bravery Points
Both players start every round with 3. They pay for Brave Counters and are stripped by Raging Strikes, guard crushes and Skybound Art damage. Your defence weakens as they drain, and being hit by a Raging Strike at zero leaves you defenceless for the follow-up.
Guard Crush
The state a Raging Strike forces on a blocking opponent, opening them up for a punish. It is the reason blocking is not a safe default in Rising the way it was in the first game.
Simple and Technical inputs
Rising removed the damage and property gap between one-button Simple inputs and full motion Technical inputs. The creative director confirmed identical properties, which makes Simple a legitimate competitive choice rather than a training mode.
Rollback netcode and crossplay
Rising ships with rollback netcode and crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, so the online population is pooled rather than split three ways.
Per-character Versus Rank
Your rank is tracked separately for each character, so picking up a second fighter does not put your main's rating at risk. It is the reason the roster stays experimented with rather than locked in after week one.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising combat guide.
Characters Overview
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Charlotta | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Vaseraga | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Ferry | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Lancelot | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Weapons Guide
| Weapon | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Skybound Art | The full-gauge super. | Closing a round, and for the Bravery Point swing when both players are running low |
| Super Skybound Art | The stronger version, available only with a full SBA gauge and less than 30 percent of your own health remaining. | Punishing an opponent who gets careless once they think the round is already won |
| Ultimate Skill | An upgraded version of a character's normal skill that costs 50 percent of the SBA gauge and briefly slows the opponent's movement, opening routes into combos or punishes that the base skill cannot reach. | Converting a stray hit into real damage without spending the whole gauge |
| Raging Strike | A meter-spending attack that guard crushes a blocking opponent and takes one Bravery Point off them, leaving them briefly defenceless. | Cracking an opponent who blocks everything, and for draining Bravery Points before a Skybound Art |
| Brave Counter | A counterattack performed from block or from a guard crush at a cost of 1 Bravery Point. | Escaping a pressure sequence you have already seen twice in the same match |
Skybound Art: The full-gauge super. It requires a completely filled SBA gauge, deals more damage than an Ultimate Skill, and strips a Bravery Point from the opponent while restoring one of yours on hit.
Super Skybound Art: The stronger version, available only with a full SBA gauge and less than 30 percent of your own health remaining. It is the game's designed comeback tool.
Ultimate Skill: An upgraded version of a character's normal skill that costs 50 percent of the SBA gauge and briefly slows the opponent's movement, opening routes into combos or punishes that the base skill cannot reach.
Raging Strike: A meter-spending attack that guard crushes a blocking opponent and takes one Bravery Point off them, leaving them briefly defenceless. Raging Chain is the follow-up that turns that opening into damage.
Brave Counter: A counterattack performed from block or from a guard crush at a cost of 1 Bravery Point. It launches on hit and recovers quickly on block, which makes it a low-risk answer to repetitive pressure.
Full breakdowns in our Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Story Mode | New players and returning players | The new third act, plus entries for the in-game notes and collection |
| Grand Bruise Legends | Any skill level | A break from ranked, and a lobby activity that non-fighting-game friends will actually join |
| Training Mode | All levels, essential above Ranked beginner | Frame data, matchup-specific punish drills, combo routes per character |
| Ranked Match | After roughly ten hours in Training Mode | Per-character rank, and the only reliable read on whether your gameplan survives real opponents |
| Figure Studio | Any | Screenshots, and posing options for every character you own |
Story Mode: Three acts, the first two carried over from the 2020 Granblue Fantasy: Versus and the third written for Rising. The JRPG systems from the original were stripped out, so progression is stage by stage rather than through a party and equipment layer.
Grand Bruise Legends: A 30-player party mode in a chibi art style, running sets of three minigames covering obstacle courses, team collectathons and survival rounds. It has nothing to do with the fighting game underneath it, which is the point.
Training Mode: One of the more complete training suites in the genre, with frame information, colour-coded displays, character breakdowns, combo practice, situational training and punish training all built in rather than left to community mods.
Ranked Match: Ranked runs on rollback netcode with crossplay across PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Ratings are stored per character, so a second or third pick can be trained in ranked without damaging your main's standing.
Figure Studio: A diorama builder where you pose characters against backgrounds and set pieces. Purely creative, with no bearing on the fighting game, and one of the reasons the game holds a non-competitive audience.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Watch the opponent's Bravery Point count, not just their health. Both players start each round with 3, and an opponent at zero cannot Brave Counter, which turns your safest pressure sequence into a genuinely free one.
- Simple inputs deal the same damage and carry the same properties as Technical inputs in Rising, which was not true in the 2020 game. If motion inputs are the thing keeping you from playing, use Simple and spend that practice time on spacing instead.
- An Ultimate Skill costs 50 percent of the SBA gauge. Spending two of them in a round means no Skybound Art, so decide early whether the round plan is steady conversions or one large payoff.
- Super Skybound Arts only become available below 30 percent health with a full gauge. When your opponent crosses that threshold, stop pressing buttons on their wakeup and start blocking, because the game hands them a comeback tool at exactly that moment.
- Brave Counter costs 1 Bravery Point and launches on hit while recovering quickly on block. Hold one point in reserve rather than spending everything on offence, because a defensive option you cannot afford is not an option.
- Raging Strike into Raging Chain is the intended answer to an opponent who blocks everything and never presses a button. Learn one confirmed route out of the guard crush per character rather than improvising it live.
- Training Mode already includes frame information, character breakdowns, combo practice, situational training and punish training. Use situational and punish training against the specific character beating you rather than grinding combo trials that never come up in a match.
- Ranked rating is stored per character, so a second character can be learned in ranked without risking the rating on your main. That design choice is the cheapest way to learn a matchup from the other side.
- Story Mode's first two acts are carried over from the 2020 Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and the RPG systems from that game were removed. If you played the original, act three is the only new material, and it takes an evening.
- The launch roster was 28 characters, of which Anila, Siegfried, Grimnir and Nier were new. If you played the first game, 24 of the fighters you already know are here, though Bravery Points change how their pressure sequences resolve.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Learning Technical inputs first because you assume Simple inputs deal less damage, which Rising no longer does.
- Burning the whole SBA gauge on Ultimate Skills and having nothing left when the round comes down to one exchange.
- Attacking into an opponent below 30 percent health, straight into a Super Skybound Art.
- Spending your last Bravery Point on offence and then having no Brave Counter when the pressure comes back.
- Blocking as a default plan, which Raging Strike and guard crush exist specifically to punish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Simple inputs deal less damage than Technical inputs?
Not in Rising. The 2020 game penalised one-button skills, but the creative director confirmed that Simple and Technical inputs have identical damage and properties here. Simple inputs are a legitimate competitive choice.
What are Bravery Points for?
Each player starts a round with 3. They pay for Brave Counters, and they are drained by Raging Strikes, guard crushes and Skybound Art damage. Your defence weakens as they fall, and taking a Raging Strike at zero leaves you defenceless for the follow-up.
How do I deal with an opponent spamming Raging Strike?
A Raging Strike costs meter and only pays off if you are sitting in block. Brave Counter out of the guard crush at a cost of 1 Bravery Point, or contest the approach instead of blocking. An opponent who leans on it will run their own gauge dry.
Do I need to have played the first Granblue Fantasy: Versus?
No. Story Mode's first two acts recap the original's plot, and 24 of the 28 launch fighters came across from it. Rising also removed the RPG progression layer the first game used, so nothing carries over mechanically.
Is there crossplay and rollback netcode?
Yes to both. Rising supports rollback netcode and crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, and Versus Rank is tracked separately for each character you play.
More Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Guides
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Best Builds
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Tier List
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Walkthrough
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Beginner's Guide
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Tips & Tricks
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Weapons Guide
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Combat Guide
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Boss Guide
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Maps & Locations
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Crafting Guide
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Classes & Characters
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- Black Myth: Wukong Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Monster Hunter Wilds Guide: action game with similar mechanics
