Guilty Gear Strive tier list sparks balance debate

SQ releases a final Guilty Gear Strive tier list that places Potemkin at the top and labels several characters as broken or awful.

Guilty Gear Strive tier list labels Potemkin as a failure of game design

SQ, known for competing in Persona 4 Arena games, recently released a final Guilty Gear Strive version 4.1 tier list. The list ranks every fighter into ten tiers and places Potemkin at the very top, accompanied by wording that suggests nerfs may be needed for the character. It also notes other meta-defining fighters as strong or broken, including Leo, Johnny and Ramlethal, while characters like Axl Low and Queen Dizzy are described as awful. The tier order is said to be organized within each category. The article notes that Lucy, the next DLC character, could shift the balance, and it signals that Guilty Gear Strive will undergo a major overhaul with a 2.0 update.

Tier lists are a common flashpoint in fighting game communities. They can crystallize opinions about balance, while also inviting controversy when language labels a character as a possible design flaw. The discussion around Potemkin being the best and others labeled as broken or awful shows how players react to patch cycles and new DLC. The meta is not set by a single list, but by patches, player experience, and regional play styles, which means the list is a snapshot rather than a verdict.

Highlights

Balance is a moving target shaped by patches and player feedback