The update of the fighting game spin-off of the popular gacha game, Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising, is released with a free version. As you can expect though, playing a full-priced game at no cost will come with caveats. Most of the essentials are available free of charge and should satisfy casual fans. But hardcore and competitive players will still want to pay to access all of the depth offered by this sequel.
Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising: All Free Version Features
In terms of characters, free Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising players can play using Gran and three other rotating characters out of 28. The three bonus characters will rotate each week, and currently, Djeeta, Zeta, and Siegfried are available for free users.
Unlike in the full release which costs $50, Custom Rooms in online play will be locked for free-to-play users. You won’t be able to invite a friend when playing over the internet. For that reason, you will have to play offline if you want to have a private sparring match with a friend since the Versus Mode is unlocked. If you’re on PC, I’m sure you can play “online” using Steam Remote Play though.
Nevertheless, Ranked and Casual Matches as well as the online Lobby will still be available to all players, free or paid.
For anyone interested in the lore, the game’s Story Mode is limited to only Act 1 for the free version as well. Act 1 and 2 are from the original Granblue Fantasy Versus, so newcomers will not miss out much. Rising added “Act 3: A Tale of Dusk and Shadows.” Arc System Works has promised that it will add more story content in Season 2 and later.
Aside from the fundamental features, free Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising players can still enjoy several side content even with limitations. Such as restricted options in the Training Mode, Figure Studio, character customizations, and player levels.
The Fall Guys-like minigame called “Grand Bruise Legend!” can also be played for free by all players. Crossplay between PC and PlayStation is available to be enjoyed by anyone worldwide too.
To recap, below is the comparison between the full and free versions of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.
| Standard Edition | Free Version | |
|---|---|---|
| Playable Characters | 28 characters | 4 characters, Gran is permanent while 3 others rotate each week |
| Arcade Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Versus Mode (offline) | Yes | Yes |
| Training Mode | Yes | Limited features |
| Story Mode | Yes | Part 1 only |
| Figure Studio (Scene Creator) | Yes | Default only |
| Ranked Matches | Yes | Yes |
| Casual Matches | Yes | Yes |
| Room Matches | Yes | No |
| Crossplay | Yes | Yes |
| Online Lobby | Yes | Yes |
| Online Lobby Avatar | Yes | Default only |
| Grand Bruise Legend! Minigame | Yes | Yes |
| Weapon Cutouts | Yes | Default only |
| Partners | Yes | Gran, Vyrn, and Lyria only |
| Save Data Transfer | Yes, but isn’t available across different platforms (PS4-PS5 only) | No |
| Profile Customization | Yes | Limited features |
| Replays | Yes | Yes |
| Character Level | Max at Level 500 | Max at Level 80 |
| Legend Level | Yes | Max at Level 40 |
