Skullgirls: Encore Arrives in January, Free to All Skullgirls Owners

Lab Zero Games have also managed to delay the de-listing of the original Skullgirls until December 31.

Skullgirls developer Lab Zero Games have announced that the new version of the game, now subtitled Skullgirls: Encore will arrive on the PS3 in January (with an Xbox 360 version hopefully not too long after). Furthermore, they have managed to delay the de-listing attempt by Konami until December 31. When Skullgirls: Encore comes out, it will replace the original Skullgirls on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade, and will be a free download for owners of the original game.

Here’s a quick summary of what will happen for all platforms and regions:

• North American PlayStation Network users will be able to download Skullgirls: Encore for free by visiting its store page; the transition will be automatic. Squigly’s character DLC for Encore will release simultaneously and be free for three months. DLC for Skullgirls is not compatible with Skullgirls: Encore, and vice versa. There will be fresh leaderboards, and save data is not compatible. The character color DLC will also be free for a limited time, it will add new colors for existing cast and all DLC characters, while individual character DLC will be phased out. The original Skullgirls will be available to download from your downloads list.
• The European PSN release is expected to take longer than the North American version, but other than that, the details are the same.
• The Japanese PSN release is also expected to be delayed.
• Xbox Live users will find the game will disappear from the Marketplace for some time, as new publisher MarvelousAQL can’t submit the new build until after the holidays. Online play will still be available during this time. Unlike with the PSN version, Skullgirls: Encore will be a patched version of the original game, not a separate product, so leaderboards, achievements and save data will be unaffected by the transition. Previously purchased DLC will still be compatible with Skullgirls: Encore. The character color DLC bundle will be free for everyone for a limited time. Squigly will be available (and free) when Encore launches. The game will also become available on the Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace.
• The PC version of the game is unaffected, as Konami was never involved with it; the title screen has been updated, though.

So there you have it. The new and improved Konami-free Skullgirls: Encore should hopefully be available for everyone on every platform over the next few months.

Source: Gametsu via VG24/7