What is rollback netcode in video games?

FIGHTER video games have incorporated a new rollback netcode for players worldwide.

The rollback netcode was incorporated during the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) 2022.

What is rollback netcode in video games?

Rollback netcode was introduced at EVO which took place from August 5 through August 7, 2022.

The announcement pertained to two video games that will receive a rollback netcode over 12 months, creating improvements for multiplayer games.

Fighting video games are designed to make it feel as though the players are in the same room, regardless of how far apart they are.

In these games, every second there is a delay could mean the difference between a win or loss.

The new rollback netcode allows a seamless transmittal of information, meaning the players will receive a live feed.

Bandai Namco and Dragon Ball FighterZ producer Tomoko Hiroki revealed that Dragon Ball FighterZ on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will get the rollback netcode version, as will the PC version.

The exact date for the release has not been announced but is planned for Spring 2023.

Hiroki said, “It will take some time until the system is implemented, but we sincerely hope you will enjoy it as soon as possible. More information will be released at a later date. Please wait for further details.”

What is EVO?

The Evolution Championship Series (EVO) 2022 returned live in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time since 2019.

It is one of the biggest and most competitive fighting video game championships in the world.

The most successful video game players in the world compete across nine video games including:

Tekken 7
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Guilty Gear Strive
SkullGirls: 2nd Encore
The King of Fighters XV
Granblue Fantasy VS
Melty Blood: Type Lumina
Street Fighter V Championship Edition

The EVO tournament was founded by Tom Cannon in 1996 and was referred to as Battle of the Bay but changed its name to Evo in 2002.

The tournament changed hands again when Sony Interactive Entertainment bought EVO in March 2021.

Steven Roberts, the VP of Global Competitive Gaming, SIE said in a statement at the time: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting step in our journey to foster the growth of the fighting game community and esports, and support competitive gamers widely on our consoles.

“Fighting games are hugely popular on PlayStation consoles, with gamers logging more than 1.1 billion gameplay hours in 2020 alone.

“We’re committed to breaking down the barriers for gamers to compete at all levels and providing a best-in-class, global platform for them to showcase their skills and passion.”

Why is it an important addition to video games?

Rollback netcode implements a much-needed change to fighting video games that have a time lag between players.

The response delay causes unevenly matched games, resulting in a potential loss that would have been a win if there wasn’t a lag.

A player on one side of the controller may see a pane in their displayed game freeze and speed up once unfrozen to make up for the time-lapse.

However, this results in the players’ inability to use a combination to fight their opponent, causing them to lose.

The new rollback netcode will remove this issue from the competitive games, allowing for a seamless fight.