# Under Night In-Birth II
**Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes** (often shortened to UNI2) is a 2D fighting game developed by French Bread and published by Arc System Works, released on January 25, 2024 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4), [PlayStation 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-5), [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch), and Windows PC.[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) It is the latest entry in the Under Night In-Birth series, presenting the final chapter of the story of "The Hollow Night" with renewed high-definition dot-based graphics, new playable characters, and the series' first rollback netcode.[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) • [2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | January 25, 2024, on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) |
| Developer / publisher | French Bread / Arc System Works[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) |
| Announcement | Revealed at EVO 2023 as a late celebration of the series' 10th anniversary[3](https://inbirth.wiki.gg/wiki/Development_Process) |
| New launch characters | Kaguya, Tsurugi, and Kuon make their playable debut[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) |
| Netcode | Rollback netcode, a series first, plus a new Casual Match mode[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) |
| Reception | VGC Score 83/100 (critics 81, players 83); Steam reviews 87% positive all-time[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010) |
| Esports | One of three titles in Arc World Tour 2024, with 25,000 USD for first place at the Finals[5](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/awt2024/assets/pdf/AWT2024rules_ENG.pdf) |
## Development and release
After years of speculation, the game was revealed at EVO 2023 as a late celebration of the original [Under Night In-Birth](https://www.edgepedia.org/under-night-in-birth)'s 10th anniversary, with an early 2024 release date set.[3](https://inbirth.wiki.gg/wiki/Development_Process) Arc System Works announced the official release on January 25, 2024, describing it as the latest title in the UNI series with evolved graphics, new techniques, battle systems, and networks.[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/)
Three new playable characters joined the roster at launch: Kaguya, "The Twin Barreled Beauty who dances under the moonlight"; Tsurugi, "The Steel Guardian who is an unbreakable wall"; and Kuon, "The Never-Ending Rebirth who lives forever."[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) Arc System Works also announced Uzuki, Ogre, and Izumi as future DLC characters, free for buyers of the physical limited edition or Digital Deluxe edition before March 31, 2024; Ogre was released on February 20, 2025.[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/) Every character received new moves, such as Hyde's "Blaring Outrage" and Linne's "Soaring Dragon."[1](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/)
## Gameplay systems
The series' signature tug-of-war system centers on the GRD gauge, six diamonds on each player's side at the bottom middle of the screen. Playing aggressively and defending well fills a player's diamonds, while backing off drains them. When the TS Gauge timer completes a cycle on a 13-count, the player with more GRD enters Vorpal State, gaining increased attack power and access to Chain Shift and Cross Cast Veil Off.[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) • [6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/)
**Chain Shift and Veil Off.** Chain Shift converts GRD into EXS meter, the resource that fuels special moves and Infinite Worth attacks, while canceling the preceding action with little opportunity for the opponent to attack.[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) Because the EXS bar persists between rounds and GRD does not, players can dump remaining diamonds into EXS at the end of a round to carry advantage forward.[6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/) Veil Off consumes the whole EXS Gauge, requiring at least 100% of a 200% maximum, and grants a 20% damage boost that stacks with the 10% from Vorpal.[6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/)
**New mechanics.** Two mechanics introduced in Sys:Celes deepen the GRD battle. Creeping Edge (down-forward plus D) is a defensive approach move that evades the opponent's attacks while closing distance, and at close range lets the player get behind the opponent, at the cost of GRD gauge.[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) • [6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/) Celestial Vorpal occurs when a player wins Vorpal with six or more GRD segments filled: the entire GRD gauge transfers to that player, and attack power and other attributes rise sharply for a set period.[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) • [6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/)
## Online play and netcode
Sys:Celes is the first game in the series to implement rollback netcode, which Arc System Works says allows smooth online battles, and it added a Casual Match mode for players of all skill levels.[2](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/) Reviewers found the online component strong: Siliconera's reviewer rarely had hiccups online and called solid online play alone worth picking the game up for.[6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/)
## Reception
Critics received the game well. The aggregate VGC Score stands at 83/100, with critics averaging 81/100 across 25 tracked reviews ([OpenCritic](https://www.edgepedia.org/opencritic): Strong) and players rating it 83/100; Steam reviews are 87% positive across 2,640 all-time reviews.[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010) The tracked score rose 18 points from 65 at launch to 83 as seven significant patches landed, and player sentiment on the current build reached 95% positive after the Ver.1.35 update of October 1, 2025.[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010) [Individual](https://www.edgepedia.org/individual) outlets scored it highly: Nintendo Life gave the Switch version 9/10 and found performance perfect in docked and handheld play,[7](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/under-night-in-birth-ii-sysceles) Siliconera scored it 9/10,[6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/) and TouchArcade gave the [Steam Deck](https://www.edgepedia.org/steam-deck) version 4.5/5.[8](https://toucharcade.com/2024/02/16/under-night-in-birth-2-steam-deck-review-pc-gunvolt-records-cychronicle-port-ys-x-nordics-english-pc-ph3-release-remote-play-together-sale)
**Common criticisms.** Reviewers flagged thin single-player content: the game offers online ranked, casual, and room matches, plus Arcade story, Score Attack, Time Attack, Survival, and Combo Missions, but no large story mode.[6](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/) Some launch reviews also complained about difficulty finding online matches with other people.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sysceles/?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c)
## Competitive play
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is one of three titles, alongside Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and [Guilty Gear](https://www.edgepedia.org/guilty-gear) -Strive-, in Arc World Tour 2024, a worldwide tournament series run by Arc System Works. UNI2 does not use the Tour Point system; all of its qualifier tournaments are classified as Platinum tournaments, with seven Platinum qualifier slots and one Last Chance Qualifier slot feeding eight Finals qualifiers. [The Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-finals) were scheduled for Spring 2025 in the United States, with UNI2 cash prizes of 25,000 USD for first place, 10,000 USD for second, and 5,000 USD for third.[5](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/awt2024/assets/pdf/AWT2024rules_ENG.pdf)
## Post-release support
The game has received steady balance patches. Version 1.35 arrived on October 1, 2025,[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010) and version 1.42, released October 8, 2026, mainly fixes in-game issues from version 1.41.[10](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/portal/post-31539/) The game has gone on sale seven times in the last year, as low as 24.99 USD (50% off).[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010)
## References
1. [UNDERNIGHT IN-BIRTH II [Sys:Celes] – Arc System Works](https://www.arcsystemworks.com/game/undernight-in-birth-sysceles/)
2. [UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes Official Web Site (Game)](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/en/game/)
3. [Development Process – UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Wiki](https://inbirth.wiki.gg/wiki/Development_Process)
4. [UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes review scores – VideoGamesCritic](https://videogamescritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-2076010)
5. [ARC WORLD TOUR 2024 Official Rules – Arc System Works](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/awt2024/assets/pdf/AWT2024rules_ENG.pdf)
6. [Review: Under Night in Birth II: SYS Celes Polishes an Excellent Fighter – Siliconera](https://www.siliconera.com/review-under-night-in-birth-ii-sys-celes-polishes-an-excellent-fighter/)
7. [UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes Review (Switch) – Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/under-night-in-birth-ii-sysceles)
8. [Steam Deck Weekly: Under Night In-Birth II – TouchArcade](https://toucharcade.com/2024/02/16/under-night-in-birth-2-steam-deck-review-pc-gunvolt-records-cychronicle-port-ys-x-nordics-english-pc-ph3-release-remote-play-together-sale)
9. [Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes Reviews – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/under-night-in-birth-ii-sysceles/?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c)
10. [「UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes」[Ver.1.42] Patch Notes – Arc System Works](https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/portal/post-31539/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PlayStation-platform game titles › Fighting, platforming, and horror games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license