Under Night In-Birth players are finally getting a sequel after more than 10 years

More than 10 years of waiting for a sequel to what many players consider to be “peak” anime-fighting game action has finally come to a close with Arc System Works officially announcing Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] at Evo 2023 today. 

This is a direct sequel to the original UNI title that became a cult classic title from developer French-Bread back in 2012 and will bring a conclusion to the ongoing “Hollow Night” story when it launches in early 2024. As a bonus, fans attending Evo 2023 will get the chance to go hands-on with a build of the game. 

ArcSys is keeping some deeper details about the game a secret, but it was confirmed that 21 characters will be returning alongside several newcomers. This will pair with a new battle system, updated move lists, and modernized control options. 

This title will also fix the main problem UNI players had with the original game and its updated 2017 version Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] by bringing rollback netcode and other enhanced online features. 

It was fitting that Under Night In-Birth got an announcement like this at Evo, where many people were exposed to the series at the highest level during an incredible tournament last year at Evo 2022. It did shock some fans to see this announced less than two years after Melty Blood: Type Lumina was released, but we already knew this title was in development around that game’s launch. 

Related: Evo 2023 wrapped: All top 8 results and major announcements

The initial reaction from Evo attendees is that Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] looks like an enhanced version of UNIST with that updated move list doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Like with every French-Bread game, however, the devil—or in this case the “enigmatic force known as Kuon the Aeon”—is in the details and will only truly shine when players get their hands on the game.