Fate/Grand Order’s Oni Pagoda will test your roster

Also: Everyone gets a free Servant

Fate/Grand Order may not be quite ready to debut its next big story expansion, but the time between now and Spring won’t be empty, if the game’s handlers at Aniplex have anything to say about it. Players are still trading in their currencies from last week’s rerun event, but next week promises an entirely new (well, new to English-version players, anyway) test for veteran Masters: Setsubun: The Oni Pagoda Festival.

From January 27 through February 2, players will fight their way up a Oni-filled hundred-story challenge tower alongside various Japanese Servants (notably the Archer of Inferno, Tomoe Gozen) in search of good fights and fabulous prizes. Setsubun is also notable for debuting an exclusive new “fatigue” mechanic, wherein the Servants used clearing one floor go into “cooldown” to recuperate before they can be deployed again. This means players will be challenged to maintain a deep bench of Servants, XCOM-style, rather than relying on the same handful of superstars they likely have. I, for one, am already leveling up some of my more neglected low-rarity Servants in preparation.

Players can, though, benefit from some reinforcements, and FGO provides. As part of the ongoing promo campaign for the Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia anime, anyone (veteran or otherwise) logging onto the game between now and January 29 will get a ticket redeemable for any non-limited 4-Star SR Servant. Given that 4-Stars are quite cost-effective compared to the much hungrier 5-Stars, it’s a good deal – one I’m planning to spend to acquire Parvati, the long-awaited expy for Fate/Stay Night’s Sakura Matou.