Kayac Inc. (headquartered in Kamakura, Kanagawa; CEO Daisuke Yanasawa) is rolling out "Series 2," the biggest update in the history of its Nintendo Switch™ fighting game Ketsu Battler, on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
The update adds Ketsu Battler's first-ever paid DLC fighter, a new "Serious Zone" system, and four new stage types, broadening the game's options for a hotter round of Ketsu Battles than ever.
Alongside the update, the game goes on sale at half price from July 30 through August 25, and the Ketsu Battler manga begins a new chapter, "New Century Arc," in Weekly CoroCoro Comic on September 17 — giving fans two fresh ways to enjoy the newly powered-up Ketsu Battler.
Four Major Updates in "Series 2"
The four main additions in "Series 2," the biggest update in the game's history, are as follows.
1. First DLC Fighter: Kiden Joins the Roster
Kiden, a new-era Ketsu Battler, joins the roster as the game's first-ever DLC character. A mysterious young man who carries an oversized sword and commands the power of lightning, he's also the first fighter with a counter skill.
His signature move, "Counter," blocks an opponent's attack before answering with an enormous bolt of lightning from above called "Ketsu Divider." While the new Serious Zone system is active, Kiden also gains a special effect that forcibly pulls the opponent in to guarantee the counter connects. He's priced at ¥300 (tax included).
Kiden is also the new protagonist of "New Century Arc," the manga's new chapter beginning September 17, marking his debut across both the game and the manga.
The signature move "Counter" blocks the opponent's attack...
...then answers with the massive lightning bolt "Ketsu Divider" from above!
2. New "Serious Zone" System Powers Up Every Signature Move
A new system has been added: keep up an aggressive offense, and a Ketsu Battler will trigger "Serious Zone." While it's active, base stats improve, and every signature move is upgraded into a "Serious" version. Serious Zone becomes easier to trigger the longer a match runs, or the further behind a player falls after losing a round, helping fuel comebacks from a losing position.
A new frontier for Ketsu Battles: Serious Zone activates!
Every fighter's signature move gets a major boost — never give up until the very end!
3. Four New Stages
Four new stages have been added: "Wide," with more horizontal space than usual; "Zero Gravity," a special stage without gravity; "Always Serious Zone," where Serious Zone stays active for the whole match; and "No Serious Zone," which plays like the earlier games without it. With the series' first stage-select feature, players can now choose from five stages in total, including the standard, rules-free stage.
The extra-wide "Wide" stage
The gravity-defying "Zero Gravity" battle
The extreme "Always Serious Zone" stage
4. Every Fighter Gets a Major Overhaul
Every character's stats have been adjusted for a better overall experience, and character visuals have been upgraded in detail. Players can now also set the number of rounds needed to win a match anywhere from one to five, alongside various bug fixes.
Half-Price Sale Celebrates the "Series 2" Update, Starting July 30
To mark the "Series 2" release, the game goes on sale at half price for a limited time, from Thursday, July 30, 2026 through 11:59 PM on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. The sale price is ¥250 (tax included), giving more players a chance to enjoy the refreshed Ketsu Battler over summer break.
Store page: https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000087494
Manga Version Kicks Off New Chapter "New Century Arc" on September 17
The Ketsu Battler manga begins a new chapter, "New Century Arc," in Weekly CoroCoro Comic on September 17. Set in the present day after peace returns to the world following the final battle against Ogetsu, the story follows new protagonist Kiden. The same character also joins the game as paid DLC in this update, marking a debut that spans both the manga and the game.
Series page: https://www.corocoro.jp/title/605
About Ketsu Battler for Nintendo Switch™
Ketsu Battler is a Nintendo Switch™ game released on December 12, 2024, developed by Kayac Inc. in collaboration with CoroCoro Comic. It's built on an idea from Kayac game creator トモぞヴP, who won a special award in the "Coro Game Project," a game contest for elementary schoolers. Players set a Joy-Con™ against the seat of their pants and swing it, making their in-game Ketsu Battler swing a sword strapped to the character's rear and try to land a hit on the opponent's head, in this two-player-only action game.
Ketsu Battler Series 2 at a Glance
| Platform | Nintendo Switch™ |
| Series 2 release | Thursday, July 30, 2026 |
| Half-price sale period | Thursday, July 30, 2026 – 11:59 PM, Tuesday, August 25, 2026 |
| Base price | ¥500 (tax included); sale price ¥250 (tax included) |
| DLC character "Kiden" | ¥300 (tax included) |
| Number of players | Local 2-player only |
| Official X | https://x.com/KetsuBattler |
