Guilty Gear Strive Update prevents inappropriate photos

Key Takeaways

• Guilty Gear Strive has implemented a new patch that prevents players from attempting to view or take inappropriate photos of any character, male, female, or non-binary.
• Any attempt to pan the camera to a prohibited area will turn off the camera.
• It is unclear why the patch was implemented, but recently the game’s CERO rating was changed to a different rating.

Through a new game update, Arc System Works has prevented players from attempting to view or take inappropriate photos of Guilty Gear Strive characters in Digital Figure mode.

As first noted by Automaton and later reported by Video Games Chronicle, Update 1.4 includes two major changes to Photo Mode. According to the Guilty Gear website, “viewing certain parts of the figures through the camera will turn off the display,” along with the implementation of an icon to indicate when the display is turned off.

In other words, trying to look up a female character’s skirt is not possible. The same can be said for the game’s non-binary characters, including Testament, who wear more revealing clothing.

It’s unclear exactly why the patch was implemented, but Automaton theorized that it could be in response to the game’s CERO rating (the Japanese equivalent of the ESRB or PEGI) being changed from CERO B to CERO C. A notice on the Guilty Gear website stated that the game’s rating would be changed, although the exact reasons why were not stated.

According to the CERO website, a C rating is intended for gamers aged 15 and over, with games having content not suitable for younger players. A CERO B rating is intended for gamers aged 12 and older.

Content that could fall under a rating includes things like swimwear and underwear, according to CERO’s website, meaning the change in rating could be due to the ability to view underwear via a photo mode, although it is not confirmed.

The patch would theoretically limit this exposure and could lead to a rating reversal. And if not, it at least limits potential bad actors from doing inappropriate things to virtual characters.

Stellar Blade also did something similar

As TheGamer reported earlier this week, Stellar Blade’s 1,009 patch brought the long-awaited crossover with Nier Automata into the 2024 release world. That patch brought photo mode and paid Nier-inspired costumes for Eve. However, as with Guilty Gear, inappropriate photos cannot be taken.

If the player tries to upskirt Eve while she has one of the crossover outfits, or simply moves the camera to that area if she doesn’t have a skirt, Eve will start up the camera, causing the screen to shake. Some of it is a reference to Kaine from Nier: Replicant, though some of it probably has to do with the possibility of inappropriate behavior. It will be interesting to see what changes are made to future photo modes given their popularity.