[Play Report] In "GBVSR," Meg is a speed character who fights in perfect harmony with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula as a trio.
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/680/G068071/20251006035/
Editorial Department: T-Tan | 2025/10/12 09:00 (UTC)
On October 15, 2025, the new playable character Meg will be added to Cygames’ competitive fighting game Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (PC / PS5 / PS4, hereafter GBVSR).
Prior to the official release, I had the chance to try Meg at a pre-release event hosted by Cygames, and here’s my report. Please note that this is based on a demo version only, so it may differ from the final product.
Official Website for “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising”
Basic stats are speed-type. Fights in tandem with best friend Marippe and shark Ursula
Meg was once just an ordinary girl dreaming of a wonderful vacation at her favorite resort, “Auguste.” However, each time she visits Auguste, strange events unfold, gradually dimming the light within her heart. As a result, she learns combat techniques through correspondence courses and resolves to protect Auguste with her own hands.
Meg was originally just an ordinary girl. Strange incidents in Auguste cause her inner spark to fade over time. Thumbnail image No.024 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Stunning before-and-after transformation—she’s now fully a warrior. Thumbnail image No.025 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Meg’s base stats are those of a speed-type character with slightly short reach. While she can fight on her own, adding her best friend Marippe and shark Ursula to the team allows for varied offensive tactics. The core concept appears to be using Meg’s speed to confuse opponents, then capitalizing on openings by deploying Marippe, followed by wave-like attacks.
Ursula Bite—effective poking tool with good range Thumbnail image No.026 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Call out Marippe in launcher stance with Shark Launcher Thumbnail image No.028 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Overall, normal attack reach is short, but her crouching L has good length and she also possesses a fast forward-moving crouching U, making her very effective at breaking opponents in close to mid-range. The main poking move—long M—is slightly advancing, suitable for jabbing through gaps; meanwhile, crouching M appears low-profile, so it can be used as a setup.
Easy-to-use crouching 2L for quick breakdowns Thumbnail image No.002 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
2M has compact overall motion, making it ideal as a primary poke tool Thumbnail image No.003 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Dash attacks: Dash L creates favorable conditions in a standard way, Dash M is a mid-level attack useful for breaking, and Dash H deals heavy damage when it hits, knocking the opponent off-balance. As for Dash M, it’s particularly interesting to use in combination with Marippe later.
A slightly tricky-to-use dash move—best used as part of combo setups with Marippe Thumbnail image No.006 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Two firing angles for Shark Launcher
The Shark Launcher, which places Marippe and then fires a projectile with the U button, can be set in two ways: neutral + U (straight forward) or +U (diagonally upward). The straight shot allows you to gain favorable frames more easily, while the diagonal upward shot is useful for timed attacks.
Note that the diagonally upward shot automatically tracks the opponent’s position—once fired, it can guard almost any distance. Although its startup is slow and not meant for casual use, firing it still applies meaningful pressure.
Use standard forward placement primarily as a poking tool Thumbnail image No.029 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Use diagonal-upward placement for setup combos or to apply pressure at long range Thumbnail image No.030 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Meg’s abilities focus on close-range combat, with synergy involving Shark Launcher
Meg’s ability set includes: Ursula Bite (projectile), Primordial Waters (close-range striking move), Screw Joe (combo and pin tool), and Dorsalfin Blade (surprise jump attack). Primordial Waters features multiple follow-ups, making it especially useful as a setup or offensive starter.
■ Ursula Bite
A projectile that launches a giant Ursula forward. The H version can be guarded but leaves Meg in a favorable position, so it’s excellent for continuing pressure. Meanwhile, the L and M versions cause opponents to float on counter-hit, allowing them to be incorporated into combos—especially useful during chaotic mix-ups.
The Ultimate version launches an ultra-giant Ursula, which can serve as a strong offensive starter at mid-to-long range. Thumbnail image No.009 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Primordial Waters
The L version is a straightforward dash move. The M and H versions trigger a backflip, followed by four possible follow-ups based on button inputs.
L version of Primordial Waters—no counterattack if blocked Thumbnail image No.033 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
L version leads into Calamity Rejection (a flying kick), M version to Sharkteo Fall (projectile launch), H version to Shark Struggle (heavy damage on hit), U version sets the Shark Launcher, or fires a shot if already placed.
Calamity Rejection—minimal opening and easy to use regardless of guard/hit Thumbnail image No.034 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Slower startup, but if blocked it creates a significant advantage—great for setting up pressure Thumbnail image No.035 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Shark Struggle—combo-focused, with a throw-like animation that makes setup combos easy Thumbnail image No.041 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
If Shark Launcher is already placed, you can fire a shot straight forward and continue the offense seamlessly Thumbnail image No.040 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
The Ultimate version automatically transitions to Shark Struggle on hit Thumbnail image No.011 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Screw Joe
A multi-hit attack that advances forward. The L version is safe if blocked and doesn’t allow counterattacks, so it’s ideal as an offensive accent; use M and H versions for combos regardless of position. The H version triggers wall bounces, allowing even longer combos when near the screen edge.
The Ultimate version can be used for combos even in central screen positions—confirm hit and deal heavy damage Thumbnail image No.012 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Dorsalfin Blade
Dorsalfin Blade involves jumping forward and attacking. After hitting, a backflip occurs, enabling transition into the four previously mentioned follow-ups. It’s effective for surprise attacks or as a setup—after placing Shark Launcher in front and forcing guard, you can continue pressure effectively.
Not particularly fast startup—it works better as an accent rather than main poke Thumbnail image No.038 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
The Ultimate version completely changes Dorsalfin Blade into a new invincible move with entirely different animation. It also allows position swapping on hit, making it useful for quick reversals.
After hitting, you can perform a high jump to switch positions Thumbnail image No.010 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Dorsalfin Blade (Air)
The aerial version is a single-hit move that does not trigger backflip and can create favorable conditions after being blocked. However, its startup is very slow—overuse should be avoided. Use it strategically for long-range surprise attacks or when reading opponent’s pokes.
The Ultimate version remains largely unchanged in performance Thumbnail image No.045 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Bershark Assault
Bershark Assault is a powerful strike that consumes 100% of the ultimate gauge and has invincibility. It hits regardless of distance, so use it proactively not just for combos but also as an interrupt.
Thumbnail image No.019 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula Thumbnail image No.020 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
■ Heavy Sharkron
Heavy Sharkron, a released ultimate ability, creates a tornado in the upward diagonal direction. It’s a standard-style release move—use it for interrupts or to incorporate into combos.
Thumbnail image No.014 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula Thumbnail image No.021 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Making up for short reach by forcing close-range combat
As a speed-type with limited range, Meg truly shines in close-quarters fighting. Rather than trying to engage from mid-to-long range, it’s better to use Shark Launcher placement, Dash L, Primordial Waters, or Dorsalfin Blade as starting points to rapidly close the gap.
Once you make contact, follow up with H version Ursula Bite to create a favorable situation and continue pressure Thumbnail image No.032 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
After closing in, simply use long crouching L and throws to break your opponent. Against opponents trying to counter with wild attacks, go for heavy damage from close-range H.
Stick to the core GBVSR strategy: choose between striking or throwing to break down the opponent Thumbnail image No.031 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Once a break is successful, place Shark Launcher while transitioning into an offensive follow-up. Of course, the synergy with Primordial Waters is great—but you can also create favorable situations by placing Shark Launcher in various scenarios. The possibilities are wide open depending on player creativity.
Meg’s combo potential involving Shark Launcher looks especially promising—there’s a lot of room for discovery and refinement through research Thumbnail image No.027 / [Play Report] Meg from “GBVSR” is a speed-type fighter who fights in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula
Meg’s official release date is October 15
Although I initially assumed Meg might be a lighthearted, comedic character based on her backstory, the actual feel during gameplay was surprisingly standard and easy to handle. She will officially join the roster on October 15.
Beyond being a simple speed-type character, Meg’s unique concept of fighting in tandem with her best friend Marippe and the shark Ursula is cleverly integrated into the combat system. Fans of the original Meg will definitely want to try her out—and so will players looking for something fresh.