There are two gigantic reasons we think the leak is fake, so let’s look at the evidence and decide.
Season Three of Guilty Gear Strive has already added a lot to the game, but one potential leak has fans equally confused and excited. Unsourced images show that the next DLC character will be Elphelt, complete with a redesign that transforms the blushing bride into a rock star. However, fan analysis has pointed to these leaks being fake.
Here’s what we know about the leak, why fans are excited, and if the celebration might be a little premature.
A shotgun wedding
The excitement revolves around a leaked image that appears to show the official splash art of Elphelt in Guilty Gear Strive. The art allegedly depicts the official redesign of the character with the Strive logo, which matches previous official art. Ramlethal’s sister appears to have gained a punk edge with a leather jacket, spiked gauntlets, and fingerless gloves.
In addition to the splash art, images showing Elphelt’s supposed gameplay have also been leaked. Pictures show visual reworks for her Heavy Slash and overhead attacks.
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Is the Elphelt leak for Guilty Gear Strive real?
Developer Arc System Works has not confirmed or denied the Elphelt leak, but some signs point to it being an elaborate hoax by artists and modders.
The first clue is related to the splash art. Clever fans have noticed that Elphelt’s face appears to match up very closely with the recent DLC fighter, Bridget. It’s not quite an exact match, but it's enough to make some fans suspicious. Overlaying the images on top of each other shows the similarities. Considering the lengths Arc System Works goes to make each character unique, sharing a face with another recent character raises some red flags.
A few more signs indicate a fake leak. These include the computer used to show the images, which is set to English instead of the more likely Japanese. The level of detail on the art is also not quite up to par with the reveal art of other DLC characters. The gameplay images are more convincing, though some fans have raised the idea of them being elaborate visual mods from other characters.
On the other hand, Elphelt wouldn’t be the first character leak in Guilty Gear Strive history. Season One's breakout Baiken’s full design was leaked by a California bakery as part of a collaboration between it and Arc System Works. Still, Guilty Gear leaks happen far less often than its fighting game competition.
While there are no official comments so far, Arc System Works will likely reveal the next Guilty Gear Strive DLC either during The Game Awards on Dec. 5 or a developer livestream planned for Dec. 9.
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