Skullgirls 2nd Encore and Mobile Update Changes In-Game Assets to Remove Sexualization and Racial Stereotype Imagery

Hidden Variable Studios announced an update to Skullgirls 2nd Encore and Skullgirls Mobile that would effectively change many in-game assets and animations, including images from the official digital art book.

Although released in 2013, the game retains a small group of players on its Steam version, anywhere from 100 – 300 a day. Strangely, the developer has pushed an update that changes the art and animations of the characters. The list is quite long and includes the removal of overly sexualized characters, hate group imagery, and racial stereotypes. Yes, this does remove some of the more revealing outfits, including the one used for the featured image of this article.

In response, the developer shared:

We of course realize that some members of the Skullgirls community may disagree with these changes, either in terms of how we chose to address them or whether they were in fact issues that warranted addressing in the first place. Please know that all of these choices have been made following careful consideration and lengthy discussion amongst all members of the current development team. Beyond this post, we do not intend to discuss the particulars of these changes further.

We are confident that this will provide a more sound foundation for Skullgirls that we can all be proud of as we continue to grow and expand the universe in the years to come.

Needless to say, thank you all so much for your support over the years. The future of Skullgirls has never looked brighter, and it is all thanks to you and your efforts to help us get to where we are today.

The list is rather extensive, but here is what is changed:

Skullgirls 2nd Encore

COMBAT ADJUSTMENTS

• Adjusted Filia palettes: 1, 3-11, 13, 16, 18-20, 22, 24-28.
• Removed comb from Filia’s Burst animation.
• Adjusted Parasoul palettes: 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 22, 24, 25, 27.
• Adjusted in-game Black Egret art for both Parasoul and Umbrella.
• Replaced combo counter phrases for 18-hit combos (and reshuffled 16 and 17 accordingly).
• Removed an intro voice line in Big Band’s alternate voice pack.
• Removed an intro voice line in Peacock’s alternate voice pack.
• Removed the Soviet Announcer voice pack.

GENERAL ART ADJUSTMENTS

• Removed 4 illustrations from Gallery > Guest Art
• Adjusted “Parasoul Poster” (Gallery > Posters)
• Adjusted “Parasoul and Black Egret” (Gallery > Parasoul)
• Adjusted “Parasoul and the Egrets” (Gallery > Parasoul)
• Adjusted “Cancer Drive – Parasoul and Valentine” (Gallery > Production Art)
• Adjusted “Double’s Action Shot” (Gallery > Double)
• Adjusted “Cast Poster – Original” (Gallery > Key Art)
• Adjusted “Menu Background” (Gallery > Key Art)
• Adjusted “Double Arcade Stick” (Gallery > Arcade Sticks)
• Adjusted “Film Strip Blue” (Gallery > Arcade Sticks)
• Adjusted “Posters Arcade Stick” (Gallery > Arcade Sticks)
• Adjusted “Vertical Cast Arcade Stick” (Gallery > Arcade Sticks)
• Adjusted “Filia vs. Peacock 1” (Gallery > Key Art)
• Adjusted “Adam’s Lineup Art” (Gallery > Lineup Shots)
• Adjusted “Molly’s Lineup Art” (Gallery > Lineup Shots)
• Adjusted “Panzerfaust’s Lineup Art (Gallery > Lineup Shots)

STORY MODE ADJUSTMENTS

• Adjusted several illustrations from “Beowulf’s Story Mode Art” when characters are captured by Double.
• Removed one illustration and adjusted another when Big Band is attacked by police officers.
• Adjusted illustration from “Double’s Story Mode Art” when characters are captured by Double.
• Adjusted several illustrations from “Eliza’s Story Mode Art” when Cerebella is attacked by Eliza, and Filia and Ms.
• Fortune are captured by Eliza.
• Adjusted several illustrations from “Filia’s Story Mode Art” during the intro.
• Adjusted several illustrations from “Parasoul’s Story Mode
• Art” involving Black Egrets apparel and uniform.
• Adjusted illustration from “Umbrella’s Story Mode Art” involving Black Egrets apparel and uniform.

Skullgirls Mobile

COMBAT ART ADJUSTMENTS

• Adjusted Filia variant palettes for Bad Hair Day, Frayed Ends, Hair Apparent, Rock Star, Parasite Weave, Windswept, Idol Threat and Class Cutter.
• Adjusted Parasoul variant palettes for Regally Blonde, Star Crossed, and High Ruler.
• Removed comb from Filia’s Burst animation, Special Move icon, and Rock Star’s card art.
• Adjusted in-game Black Egret art for both Parasoul and Umbrella, and Special Move and Blockbuster icons that utilize Black Egret soldiers.
• Replaced combo counter phrases for 18-hit combos (and reshuffled 16 and 17 accordingly).

GENERAL ART ADJUSTMENTS

• Adjusted initial download screen image for Filia, Double, and Parasoul.
• Adjusted Big Band’s Origin Story art when Big Band is attacked by police officers.
• Adjusted Parasoul’s “Dame of Thrones” Prize Fight art illustration.

The update comes at a strange time because no one was actually talking about these being hateful, so it must have been an internal discourse. The original development team, Lab Zero Games, has been largely gutted after sexual harassment allegations were raised against the lead designer and programmer, Mike Zaimont. So the game has no shortage of controversy.

We’ll keep you updated on any other changes.

Skullgirls 2nd Encore is available now on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC via Steam.

In case you missed it, here’s our review of the Switch release.