A game’s never too old to try new tricks, and the nearly eight-year-old fighting game Skullgirls is proving that. Hidden Variable and Autumn Games has announced that Skullgirls will be receiving its very first season pass, known as Season 1 Pass, in early March 2021. Hidden Variable clarified the Season Pass and its other plans for the future of the game via a Steam Community announcement.
The immediate headline addition is the next character for Skullgirls 2nd Encore: Annie of the Stars. Previously detailed in a teaser trailer, Annie is an immortal being and longtime member of the Skullgirls cast. She maintains a youthful appearance and stars in a show that, while thought to be fictional, is actually based on her life. Despite being present in the Skullgirls fiction for years, Annie DLC was only announced in 2020.
Now Annie will enter an “early access” phase in early March 2021 in the Skullgirls 2nd Encore PC version. During this time, the developers will gather information about how Annie plays and lock in tweaks and needed updates. This will lead to a full release on PCs and the PS4 by May 2021. The final release will also add a Story Mode campaign for Annie.
Annie will also be the lead character of the first Skullgirls Season 1 Pass. Buyers of the Season Pass will receive Annie, as well as three more as yet unannounced playable characters. A custom color palette pack, the game’s soundtrack (with a new track based on Annie), and a digital art compendium will be included. Hidden Variable plans to add more to the pass depending on performance, up to and including a fifth playable character.
Players on the fence about purchasing the season pass will still be able to benefit, though. Planned balance changes, bug fixes, and quality of life adjustments will be distributed to all Skullgirls players alongside the early access release. The current releases of Skullgirls will be consolidated into a single item. Owners of the original Skullgirls will also receive a free upgrade to the 2nd Encore edition.
Skullgirls 2nd Encore is immediately available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Android, iOS and PC. The Skullgirls Season 1 Pass will be available for a suggested retail price of $34.99, but will be discounted around the time of Annie’s release.
