Guilty Gear Strive’s mods allow players to develop an in-game identity that transcends the character

Modded versions of Guilty Gear Strive have taken Twitter by storm to showcase unique variations and design overhauls on characters already loved by the community. Many players are now modding their copies as though they’re competing to have the best-looking roster.

---

Modding in Guilty Gear Strive: An overview

There appears to be a huge boom in the number of visual and sound mods the community is making upon receiving Guilty Gear Strive. No one's game looks the same at this point.

Naturally, these mods being client-sided only reflect on the screens of whoever applied them and have no impact whatsoever on online matches of Guilty Gear Strive or what the opponent sees.

But it still gained immense popularity as players would tune in to their favorite FGC content creators and then suddenly notice that their copy of Guilty Gear Strive has some wacky gimmicks modded in.

Some examples of all the different mods the community-made for Guilty Gear Strive to include:

• A "Cyberpunk" aesthetic color palette for I-No gives her an elegant purple-black outfit
• A mod that makes Faust look like the "Chainsaw Man," making him all the more terrifying
• Mods that overhaul the original soundtrack of the game to replace them with OSTs of other acclaimed fighters.

Most of these mods are hosted on GameBanana, so make sure to visit them and support their community for their wonderful work. Instructions on how to install mods are also hosted on the site.

The very existence of these mods is a sign that players derive joy from a customizable experience, even if it cannot be shared with others. People will go to great lengths to do something like make their favorite character look prettier.

Just finished a commission for @IceddFL! HMU for mod commissions folks!#GGST_LE#GGST_LEO pic.twitter.com/hwwwurZ1rx

— LINGO STARR (@GZero64) July 2, 2021

Some generous developers notice these communities and integrate palette editors and a soundtrack interface into the game so players can do as they please.

Others are not nearly as generous and instead, through the heavy usage of micro-transactions, will lock away any option of customizing a character behind a paywall.

Despite being cosmetic, it's important to understand that micro-transactions like these kill off many of the potentials the game's graphic and sound design could have had. Cosmetics aren't a luxury. They're integral mechanics in any game.

Guilty Gear Strive’s different mods let fans develop an identity in the game, and modders convey different ideas and beliefs that can only take the community forward.

BLM Nago is up! Hope you guys like it!https://t.co/CtSrZYzyhQ pic.twitter.com/1gw31XmDgO

— LINGO STARR (@GZero64) June 25, 2021

The growth of modding communities like this is integral to raising new design possibilities in games and helping ambitious designers develop and sharpen their technical skills.

---

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.