The real winners of Evo 2022? Crossplay and rollback netcode

digitaltrends.com:

If a game developer did not tease a new game at Evo 2022, it most likely confirmed the addition of crossplay and rollback netcode to its fighting game. As announced during the fighting game tournament, recent fighting game hits like The King of Fighters XV and Guilty Gear Strive will expand their audience with crossplay support, while even games that came out years ago are getting improved rollback netcode for online play.

SNK’s Samurai Shodown and the current-gen versions of Dragon Ball FighterZ, will get rollback netcode in 2023, several years after their respective launches. Over the weekend, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax got rollback netcode as well, and upcoming fighting games in the pipeline like Street Fighter 6 have it too. It might sound like technical jargon if you’re not a fighting game aficionado, but it’s the kind of announcement that makes die-hard fans cheer.

Following Evo 2022, it’s clear that developers who aren’t adding rollback netcode and crossplay to their fighting games are behind the times and their games won’t have the same appeal as the countless others that are taking the proper steps to improve.

For years, fighting game fans called for games to implement crossplay and swap out delay-based netcode for rollback netcode. But what exactly do all of those terms mean?

Crossplay is an easy-to-understand boon for any online title. Players want to play and compete with their friends no matter their preferred gaming platform. This sentiment is true for fighting games, and this approach ensures that the hardcore community won’t feel tied to one platform out of necessity. Implementing the necessary online infrastructure and account systems to support crossplay is a tall task for developers, but it’s a challenge