<s>
is	O
a	O
2D	O
crossover	O
fighting	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Studio	O
Saizensen	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nicalis	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
via	O
Steam	B-Application
in	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
Japanese	O
arcade	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
in	O
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
2D	O
plane	O
and	O
features	O
two	O
characters	O
battling	O
one	O
another	O
until	O
one	O
character	O
's	O
health	O
is	O
depleted	O
,	O
causing	O
them	O
to	O
lose	O
the	O
match	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
avoids	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
more	O
complex	O
directional	O
inputs	O
seen	O
in	O
other	O
fighting	O
games	O
;	O
instead	O
,	O
players	O
perform	O
various	O
attacks	O
and	O
special	O
moves	O
by	O
pressing	O
a	O
single	O
directional	O
input	O
in	O
combination	O
with	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
attack	O
buttons	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
offers	O
a	O
single-player	O
story	O
mode	O
,	O
with	O
characters	O
interacting	O
with	O
one	O
another	O
while	O
progressing	O
through	O
a	O
tournament	O
ladder	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
arcade	O
,	O
survival	O
,	O
training	O
and	O
challenge	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
launch	O
roster	O
of	O
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
featured	O
12	O
playable	O
characters	O
drawn	O
from	O
six	O
different	O
independent	O
game	O
franchises	O
,	O
primarily	O
other	O
Studio	O
Saizensen	O
and	O
Nicalis	O
works	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
two	O
original	O
characters	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
roster	O
of	O
14	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
,	O
every	O
universe	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
many	O
simulations	O
being	O
generated	O
by	O
an	O
interdimensional	O
network	O
of	O
servers	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
simulations	O
are	O
overseen	O
by	O
the	O
goddess	O
Exiva	O
and	O
her	O
Motes	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
sentient	O
computers	O
,	O
and	O
protected	O
by	O
their	O
champions	O
,	O
the	O
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
cybernetic	O
being	O
known	O
as	O
Lina	O
appears	O
and	O
begins	O
consuming	O
the	O
servers	B-Application
 '	O
data	O
,	O
wiping	O
out	O
whole	O
worlds	O
and	O
defeating	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blade	B-Application
Strangers	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
on	O
June	O
12	O
,	O
2017	O
during	O
E3	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
