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.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Watch the opponent's Bravery Point count, not just their health
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.
2. Simple inputs deal the same damage and carry the same properties as Technical inputs in Rising, which was not true in the 2020 game
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.
3. An Ultimate Skill costs 50 percent of the SBA gauge
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.
4. Super Skybound Arts only become available below 30 percent health with a full gauge
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.
5. Brave Counter costs 1 Bravery Point and launches on hit while recovering quickly on block
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.
6. Raging Strike into Raging Chain is the intended answer to an opponent who blocks everything and never presses a button
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.
7. Training Mode already includes frame information, character breakdowns, combo practice, situational training and punish training
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.
8. Ranked rating is stored per character, so a second character can be learned in ranked without risking the rating on your main
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.
9. Story Mode's first two acts are carried over from the 2020 Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and the RPG systems from that game were removed
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.
10. The launch roster was 28 characters, of which Anila, Siegfried, Grimnir and Nier were new
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.
Advanced Strategies
Role Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Gran (A-Tier):
- Focus on Bravery Points combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Skybound Art
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Charlotta (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Super Skybound Art
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Bravery Points + Guard Crush: Both players start every round with 3. Combined with Guard Crush, the state a raging strike forces on a blocking opponent, opening them up for a punish.
Simple and Technical inputs + Rollback netcode and crossplay: Rising removed the damage and property gap between one-button Simple inputs and full motion Technical inputs. When paired with 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 scaling: 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.
Weapons Efficiency
| Weapon | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Skybound Art | Closing a round, and for the Bravery Point swing when both players are running low | The full-gauge super. |
| Super Skybound Art | Punishing an opponent who gets careless once they think the round is already won | The stronger version, available only with a full SBA gauge and less than 30 percent of your own health remaining. |
| Ultimate Skill | Converting a stray hit into real damage without spending the whole gauge | 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 | Cracking an opponent who blocks everything, and for draining Bravery Points before a Skybound Art | A meter-spending attack that guard crushes a blocking opponent and takes one Bravery Point off them, leaving them briefly defenceless. |
| Brave Counter | Escaping a pressure sequence you have already seen twice in the same match | A counterattack performed from block or from a guard crush at a cost of 1 Bravery Point. |
Location Efficiency
Story Mode (New players and returning players): 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 (Any skill level): 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 (All levels, essential above Ranked beginner): 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 (After roughly ten hours in Training Mode): 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 (Any): 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.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- 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.
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- Start with Charlotta, switch to Gran when ready
- Invest in Skybound Art above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Story Mode → Grand Bruise Legends → Training Mode → Ranked Match → Figure Studio. See our maps guide
- Bravery Points + Guard Crush together are stronger than either alone
More Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Guides
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Overview
- 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 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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