Open Guard Has Left Early Access - Version 1.0

Open Guard Has Left Early Access - Version 1.0

After a long period of development and Early Access feedback, Open Guard is now moving into full release.

Thank you to everyone who played, reported bugs, shared saves, and helped shape the game. Version 1.0 focuses on stability, clearer progression, and polishing the overall experience.

Full release does not mean support is ending. I will continue to monitor feedback and provide fixes for reproducible bugs, save issues, and other significant problems. Future updates will primarily focus on maintenance, balance, and quality-of-life improvements rather than major new features.

The main game mode is now considered complete. Fighter Career will remain labelled Experimental because it began as an unpromised bonus mode during Early Access. It is fully playable and may receive occasional fixes and smaller improvements over time.

Version 1.0 Highlights

• Major match-flow fix affecting both game modes
• Improved Fighter Career contracts and tournament eligibility
• New Fighter Career onboarding and navigation indicators
• Career milestones, offer deadlines, and contract countdowns
• Tournament withdrawal option
• Clearer attribute progression and potential ceilings
• Improved saving and separation between game modes
• General simulation and long-term career stability improvements

Version 1.0 Patch Notes

Match Improvements — Both Modes

• Fixed an issue where one fighter could retain control of every standing or clinch exchange.
• This issue could cause the same fighter to attempt an excessive number of takedowns while their opponent received no opportunity to act.
• Standing and clinch initiative is now contested throughout the match.
• Fighter attributes and game plans still influence who wins these exchanges.
• Ground-position control and positional dominance remain unchanged.

Fighter Career Fixes

• Fixed gym contracts sometimes remaining active beyond their stated duration.
• Past tournaments and invalid tournament entries can no longer prevent a contract from ending.
• Contracts will remain active until an event taking place that week has finished, ensuring results and performance bonuses are processed correctly.
• Fixed tournament belt restrictions allowing fighters into events above their eligible level.
• White belts can no longer enter Continental tournaments.
• Improved Continental tournament field generation and eligible opponent population.
• Improved free-agent population stability during longer careers.
• Fixed simulation-detail preferences sometimes being overwritten.
• Improved save-failure handling so an unsuccessful save is no longer presented as successful.

Fighter Career UI and Flow

• Added a one-time quick-start guide covering training, tournament entry, and weekly advancement.
• Added navigation attention indicators for unused training sessions.
• Added an indicator when an entered event is approaching.
• Added indicators for live gym offers and available belt assessments.
• Added expiry countdowns to gym contract offers.
• Added the remaining duration of your current contract to the My Fighter screen.
• Added a visible Career Milestones checklist.
• Dynamic career objectives are now displayed alongside permanent milestones.
• Added the ability to withdraw from a tournament before event week.
• Withdrawing from an event does not refund entry or travel costs.
• Improved manual saving, settings access, and save-and-quit confirmation.
• Improved the final fighter-creation step so your selected fighter details remain visible before confirmation.

Attribute Progression

Fighter attributes have individual ceilings based on body type and potential. This means one attribute may stop developing below 100 while others continue to improve.

• The Training screen now displays an attribute’s current value and maximum ceiling.
• Attributes that have reached their ceiling are clearly identified.
• Added clearer explanations of how conditioning, competition, coaching, body type, and potential affect development.
• Joining a gym or signing a contract does not freeze attribute development.

Saving and Campaign Stability

• Improved separation between Main mode and Fighter Career campaign data.
• Starting a new campaign should no longer inherit state from a previously played mode.
• Improved Fighter Career save and reload reliability.
• Improved long-term world simulation stability.
• Improved handling of free-agent population floors.
• Updated application and export metadata for Version 1.0.

Fighter Career (Experimental)

Fighter Career was introduced as an additional, unpromised mode during Early Access. It will remain marked as Experimental for full release.

The mode is fully playable, but its simulation and presentation may still produce occasional unusual situations. Critical issues will continue to be addressed, and smaller improvements may arrive through periodic updates.

Thank You

Thank you for supporting Open Guard throughout Early Access.

Reaching Version 1.0 would not have been possible without your feedback, bug reports, discussions, and patience. I hope you continue to enjoy building your gym, developing fighters, and chasing success on the mats.