Guilty Gear X2, also known as Guilty Gear XX[a] and subtitled The Midnight Carnival in Japan, is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios. The third main installment of the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear X2 furthered the plot of the series, as well as introduced new characters and gameplay mechanics. A sequel to Guilty Gear X, it was announced in January 2002, and was released on May 23, 2002, for the arcades. It was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and published in North America and Europe. The PlayStation 2 version of Guilty Gear X2 sold well in Japan; over 140,000 copies were sold between 2002 and 2004. In addition to the public reception, the game has been praised by video game critics. Several aspects were commended, the most noticeable being its gameplay, visuals, music, and new additions from Guilty Gear X. Some called it the best title of the series, of the year, and even one of the best fighting games of all time. Since its release, it has received five updated versions, each offering additional features over the previous versions.