Shinobi Striker Developers' Letter #13 Is Here! Season 10 Begins!! Jiraiya (Sage Mode) Joins the Battle!!

It's time to determine the world's greatest ninja in the Ninja World League!
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is an online multiplayer game where you go head-to-head with other ninja in fast-paced, acrobatic battles to vie for the honor of being crowned the strongest of them all!!

Greetings to all you ninja out there!
This is the Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker Development Team.
We are so grateful to everyone who has been playing Shinobi Striker.

In our 13th Developers' Letter, we'll be sharing details about the newest character entering the fray, Jiraiya (Sage Mode), along with information on the new season's adjustments and the latest items!

Season 10 will finally begin in the next update!
We're sharing details and videos about the season in the article below!
Make sure to check it out!
https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_2579

The newest character joining the lineup is Jiraiya (Sage Mode)!
One of the Legendary Sannin and the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya arrives in Sage Mode!
In Shinobi Striker, Jiraiya joins as an aggressive defense type who overwhelms enemies with powerful Taijutsu combos using the Two Great Sage Toads and Sage Mode! Keep reading for an in-depth look at the abilities available to him!

Ninjutsu 1 - Sage Art: Bath of Boiling Oil

This Ninjutsu combines the efforts of Fukasaku and Shima to unleash Fire Style, Wind Style, and oil simultaneously! The oil pushes enemies back as it advances, making it extremely effective against foes interfering with important objectives like scrolls and bases. The oil also leaves a damage zone in its wake, letting you pile on the pressure alongside your own attacks!

Ninjutsu 2 - Sage Art: Frog Song

This Ninjutsu replaces your moveset with specialized ones. Additional inputs allow Fukasaku and Shima to fire ultrasonic waves from their mouths to immobilize enemies! Once activated, Ninjutsu button 1 becomes Shima's binding technique, and Ninjutsu button 2 has Fukusaku attack with a stream of water. Pressing both Ninjutsu buttons simultaneously fires ultrasonic waves. None of these attacks cause significant recovery time for the user, so you can fire them freely while staying on the move. While they're active, combine them with normal attacks and boldly press the offensive!

Secret Technique - Demonic Illusion: Gamarinsho

A Genjutsu that uses song to bind enemies' minds! The song passes through terrain and reaches an extremely wide area, allowing you to restrain multiple enemies at once. Additional input summons a stone sword that pierces enemies, knocking them out in a single blow. But be warned, the song stops if you enter a downed state (same conditions as dropping the flag in Flag Battle), and the stone sword has extremely short range, so make sure to carefully close in on restrained enemies.

Jiraiya (Sage Mode) will be available for use in the free update, so look forward to using him on the battlefield! By purchasing the Special Ninjutsu Training, your avatar will be able to use his Ninjutsu!
You can also acquire the weapon "Jiraiya's Scroll" from the Special Ninjutsu Training rewards! Try your hand at using these faithful reproductions of Jiraiya's powerful signature Taijutsu!

Next up, let's take a look at the three new SS+ Items that were added in this update!

Defense Type Weapon - Black Staff "Daikokuten"
A new SS+ weapon themed after Isshiki Otsutsuki! It faithfully recreates his various abilities that use his black-patterned eye, as well as his staff techniques. Use its strong attack to drop cubes on enemies to suppress them! The cubes remain on the field for a set period of time and can serve as obstacles while also disrupting chakra and impairing visibility to sow confusion!

Ranged Type Weapon - Claw Edge "Kurama" (Rasen)
A new weapon themed after Naruto's signature Ninjutsu, the Rasengan! Uses fighting techniques that combine the Rasengan with shadow clones. Its strong attack hurls a Rasengan-wielding shadow clone for long-range attacks, and you can even have yourself thrown for a surprise assault! This weapon excels at causing confusion, making it ideal for ninja who want to control the battlefield.

Here's an overview of our balance adjustment policies for the new season!
In Season 9, we focused on reducing combos and Ninjutsu that were difficult to guard against and felt unfair, allowing player ability to shine through, while also reworking Ninjutsu and Secret Techniques that were underperforming.
Based on gameplay data, we've confirmed that a wide variety of Ninjutsu, Secret Techniques, and weapons are being utilized, and we feel the environment has become one that demands more skill from players.

For Season 10, we plan to continue adjustments based on the following three principles:
・Create an environment that demands more player skill.
・Tone down certain elements that feel excessively unfair.
・Rework underperforming Ninjutsu and Ninja Tools to better fit the Season 10 environment.

Going forward, we intend to be proactive with balance adjustments based on player feedback to create a better gaming experience for all ninja.

Here we'll be explaining the battle balance adjustments coming in update 2.70. This is going to be a fairly long read, so we appreciate you sticking with us to the end.

・Adjustments to Deflections So They No Longer Cause Wall Slams
Knockback from deflections (pressing the Chakra Jump button while guarding) will no longer cause wall slams. Normally, the attacker holds a significant advantage when their opponent is guarding, since deflecting is the only way to turn things around. However, we noticed that wall slams triggered by deflections could drastically swing the advantage in the other direction. This adjustment aims to prevent such sudden reversals and create a more satisfying back-and-forth of offense and defense.

・Increase in ST Gauge Gain When Landing Offensive Ninjutsu, Guarding with Shield Ninjutsu, and Healing Teammates
We've increased the amount of ST gauge gained when landing offensive Ninjutsu, guarding against attacks with shield Ninjutsu, and healing teammates. Boosting ST gauge buildup is intended to accelerate the combat pace and make it more exhilarating, while also promoting skill‑based gameplay by rewarding players’ Ninjutsu mastery.

・Ninjutsu Stock & Substitution Stock Reset Effects Toned Down
Ninjutsu stock and Substitution stock reset effects have been replaced with brief lockouts on Ninjutsu and Substitution use. The old reset effects felt excessive, as they denied access to critical Ninjutsu and Substitution for extended periods. This change aims to reduce unfair losses and reward player adaptability instead. That said, for hard-to-land Ninjutsu like the Shadow Possession Jutsu and Water Prison Jutsu, we've kept their reset effects intact to preserve their high risk-reward payoff.

In addition to these adjustments, we've also added an enhancement for Visual Jutsu, such as the Byakugan, that allows users to see through invisibility. We've also reworked the Vanishing Rasengan, and enabled the Water Pillar placed by Water Style: Water Pillar to transform into a Water Dragon Jutsu for launch, among various other individual changes. For the full list of adjustments, please check the notices and in-game patch notes coming at a later date!

We plan to continue making additional changes to the role types and Ninjutsu mentioned in this letter as we monitor the impact of these adjustments on the battle environment and user data.
We hope you continue to enjoy fighting in the Ninja World League!

Let's take a look at the new items coming to the Scroll Appraisal!

SS Costume: Boruto Outfit (Back in Time Ver.)

Recreate Boruto's look from when he traveled back in time to the Hidden Leaf Village of the past!
Simple, yet casual and stylish, this outfit captures his signature vibe.
Why not try it on for yourself?

Attack Type Weapon - Scientific Ninja Tool "Dragon Dagger"

A new katar-style Scientific Ninja Tool worn as a gauntlet!
While smaller than other weapons, it makes up for it with superior attack speed and rapid-fire combos.

Attack Type Weapon - Scientific Ninja Tool "Bankai"

A new pile bunker-style Scientific Ninja Tool has arrived!
This weapon excels at consecutive strikes and features a timed input system where inputting combo commands at the exact moment an attack lands boosts the damage! It balances attack speed with destructive power, but demands technical precision, making it a high-difficulty weapon for skilled players.

We have various other new items planned down the road, so be sure to keep an eye on our official X (formerly Twitter) account for further news!
https://twitter.com/Narutovideogame

The Battle Road will enter a new season in the next update!

In the upcoming Battle Road, you'll be able to get "Mirai Outfit (Travel Garb ver.): Green Orb" along with Esoteric Scrolls! You'll also be able to earn special titles themed after Jiraiya, such as "Pervy Sage" and "The Legendary Sannin"! Play every day and make the "Pervy Sage" name echo across the Ninja World League!

Give it your all in the Ninja World League!

Thank you for reading until the end!
The next update and its balance adjustments are scheduled to go live on 5/28 (JST). Additionally, the DLC for Jiraiya (Sage Mode), who cuts an imposing figure wielding Sage Mode alongside the Two Great Sage Toads, is scheduled for release on 5/29 (JST), so hang tight just a little longer!

With that, we bid you farewell. Let us meet again in the next Developers' Letter!