Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising has done something more, if not all, fighting games should do - introduce a FREE version of their game. It isn't a demo, not like the Tekken 8 demo, which only has a few offline modes available. It's a full-fledged game, just with some limitations. It's somewhat akin to how MOBAs are free - you can play all the modes except you don't get all the characters. This a step in the absolute right direction.
The biggest problem with fighting games in this modern era is that its user base is dwindling. Fighting games have a hard time capturing and retaining an audience - and sometimes that's just due to the perceived investment required to get good at them, whether that means time or money. Having a free mode, along with other beginner-friendly quality-of-life changes makes Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising quite possibly the most modern of all modern fighting games.
Here are all the modes you can choose with the Free Edition:
Offline
Arcade
Versus
Training
Story
Replays
Journal
Figure Studio (well sort of)
Online
Online lobby
Casual match
Ranked match
Grand Bruise!
That's literally almost everything, so what's the catch. In one way or another, the modes are limited.
Story Mode
You only get to do the first chapter, and everything that entails.
Arcade, Versus, Online Casual, Online Ranked, Training
Amazingly, every feature from these modes is enabled. You can go on ranked and rank up. You can go and play in the lobby. You can even use Grand Bruise!, the GBVSR's version of Fall Guys and compete there.
However, you're only limited to 4 characters at any given time. The actual roster will rotate every week. For the launch week, you can use Gran, Djeeta, Zeta, and Siegfried. On the 22nd, the roster will change again. It's likely to have Gran (and maybe Djeeta) there every time the roster rotates so you only really get two or three new characters at a time.
The limitation is you can't actually equip more colors and weapon skins for your characters. If you're not into that, good for you, but I've seen some really sick weapon skins from the previous game and I think if you enjoy the game, they're worth getting and equipping.
In Training, each and every feature is available to you. The largest limitation, however, is the inability to lab and train against characters that aren't in the free rotation. You can only select the free characters, even as opponents.
The Arcade mode is essentially the whole thing, with the only limitation being the character rotation. Other than that, literally every feature is there. You can play the Arcade Mode from start to finish.
The stages used for offline versus mode and training modes can be selected, except for a few locked ones, but the free selection is actually pretty good already.
What really surprised me is their generosity when it comes to the online matches. I honestly didn't think they'd let you play ranked in the Free Edition. But you can go into the lobbies, pick out your region, and just play. If you main Gran, then you're pretty much all set. This is unprecedented in the world of fighting games.
I 100% recommend you get the Free Edition. it will be worth your time learning to play a fighting game you maybe have never touched before, and with its auto-combo system and easy inputs for only 10% less damage (unlike SF6's 20% reduction), it is very easy to pick up and play. Mastering it, though, is another story altogether, and that's the best part about fighting games.
Honestly, I haven't bought it myself because I'm trying to catch up with payments for stuff (read: I got addicted to Bandai Namco's 30 Minute Sisters and bought like 6 kits all at once), but just because of how generous this Free Edition is, I will absolutely buy this once I have a bit more money to spend.