Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes reveals Zohar as new DLC character
Zohar joins the Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes roster as the fourth DLC fighter, featuring a puppet-style playstyle alongside a major system update.
The competitive roster of Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is set to expand this summer, as Arc System Works and developer French Bread officially unveiled Zohar, the fourth downloadable content fighter for the title. The announcement, which took place during the EVO Japan 2026 event, provides the latest update for a game that serves as the conclusion to the long-running "Hollow Night" narrative.
Zohar, known as the "Doppelganger," is characterized by an ethereal entity that accompanies her in combat. Preliminary footage suggests a puppet-style playstyle, where this entity extends the reach of her strikes, allowing for slashes and stabs that are described as claws encroaching unseen.
While developers have not yet released full details regarding her specific combat abilities, they confirmed her historical background as a foundational member of the "Bankikai," an organization she established alongside the characters Ogre and Strix.
Media additions
A Wider System Update
The arrival of Zohar coincides with a comprehensive, major update for the base game. According to announcements from the developers, this update aims to refine the core competitive experience through several technical adjustments and system enhancements:
- System Mechanics: Revisions are planned for core systems including "Steer Ender" and "Throw Escape."
- Competitive Play: The introduction of a dedicated rating system and new leaderboards will track the performance of high-ranked players alongside the existing RIP ranking.
- Training and Replay Tools: Enhancements to the frame data display will now highlight opponent information and gap frames during attack sequences. Additionally, players will gain the ability to review their own gameplay history within Mission Mode.
- Balance Tuning: The development team is performing a systemic rebalance that covers combo damage and meter gain across the entire cast, as well as property adjustments for various moves.
Context for the Series
The Under Night In-Birth series, developed by French Bread—the studio also responsible for the Melty Blood series—remains distinct in the fighting game genre due to its "GRD" mechanic. This system functions as a tug-of-war for a secondary resource, requiring players to weigh their offensive aggression against defensive risks. At intervals, the player with the superior GRD meter enters the "Vorpal State," granting them a damage increase and access to the "Chain Shift" technique, which allows for the cancellation of move recovery and conversion of GRD into super gauge.
The game has maintained an active tournament presence, as evidenced by the results at EVO Japan 2026, where the player "Oushuu-Hittou" secured victory using the character Seth. These tournaments continue to showcase a meta that includes both legacy fighters and newer additions like Kuon and Kaguya.
What to Watch Next
As the community waits for Zohar’s official debut, players can continue to utilize the game’s Replay Takeover feature to study high-level matches and refine their own play. While the developers have provided a window for the upcoming release, they have indicated that specific breakdown videos for Zohar’s combat style will be shared in future updates.
| Event/Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Zohar Release | Summer 2026 |
| Major Balance Update | Summer 2026 |
| Detailed Character Move Lists | Pending |
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is currently available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Future projects from the development team include Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina, which is expected to debut in early 2027.
