Anime Vanguards Update 5 is here, and it’s easily the most content-packed update the game has ever seen. From insane new units and a fresh game mode to quality-of-life upgrades and rebalanced challenges, this update shakes up the entire meta.
Let’s break down everything new in Update 5, with easy-to-follow explanations and tips so you don’t miss a single reward or hidden mechanic.
Anime Vanguards Update 5 Guide – New Units, Game Modes
NEW UNITS (Banner + Mailbox + Battle Pass)
10 New Units Added – Here’s Who You Can Get:
- Gem Banner Units:
- Super Saiyan 3 Goku
- Vegeta ➝ Transforms into Super Vegito (Water Unit)
- Ultimate Gohan
- Hercule
These can be summoned with gems from the new banner. Expect Vegito to be a key meta unit with water typing benefits.
- Mailbox Reward Unit:
- Lag Shooter
(Originally meant to be Peashooter, renamed due to DMCA issues. Free for all players! Check your mailbox.)
Battle Pass Units:
- Dante & Vergil (Devil May Cry Collab)
These units come with their own custom OSTs and will likely have top-tier abilities.
NEW STORY CONTENT
- New Story Stage: Marshall Island
- Tied to the 25th World Tournament
- Introduces Buu and the chaos he brings mid-tournament.
- Legend Stage: Land of the Gods
- A more intense version featuring Buu’s rampage with secret rewards.
NEW GAME MODE – Odyssey
This is a massive new dungeon-style game mode that’s part roguelike, part tower defense. Here’s how it works:
Interdimensional Journey: Battle your way through escalating stages to find lost units and power them up.
30 Unique Modifiers: Found in violet chests, modifiers boost or challenge your runs—ranging from rare buffs to mythical game-changing effects.
Multiple Paths: After every win, choose from 4 rooms, each offering upgrades with different risks and rewards.
Corruption Crystals:
Earned from Odyssey, these are used to corrupt familiars and give them powerful traits.
This mode requires real strategy. You’ll need to adapt your team based on what modifiers and enemies show up.
NEW ENEMY MECHANICS
Update 5 introduces game-changing enemy traits to stop meta abuse:
Challenger Enemies:
Immune to basic summons; elite summons only do 50% damage.
Energy Drain:
Decreases the attacker’s damage by 5% when hit (can be cleansed).
Absorption:
Heals when non-elite summons collide with the boss.
Build your teams more thoughtfully. Units like Sanjin Woo and Yamamoto are getting countered, so experiment with others.
SECRET ITEMS & MAP REWARDS
2% Chance of Buu Portal spawning on victory (Marshall Island & Land of the Gods).
5% Chance of Secret Evolution Items (Roku’s Potara Earrings) to spawn at match start.
⚠️ Manual Play Required! No macroing. You have to interact manually on the map to collect these items.
FAMILIAR CORRUPTION
Corrupt your familiars using Corruption Crystals for massive power boosts.
Access this system via the Moa NPC in the upgrades menu.
These buffs come at a cost. Choose corruption effects wisely.
LEADERBOARD REWARDS
- Tournament Leaderboard:
- Reward: Lethal Bee
- Reskin: Stonely (Rock Lee)
- Infinite Leaderboard:
- Reward: Octopus
CHALLENGE SYSTEM REVAMPED
- Weekly Challenge (1x per week):
- 20 Trait Rerolls
- 30 Green Essence
- 10 of every Legendary Essence
- 3 Rainbow Essence
- 30 Stat Chips
- 20 Super Stat Chips
Insane value for just one weekly run. Don’t skip this.
Daily Challenge:
- 3 Trait Rerolls, more gold, stat chips, and essences.
New Half-Hourly Variants: Always available with smaller rewards—perfect for farming on the go.
QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS
Here’s everything that’s been polished or upgraded:
- Improved UI + New Top Bar
- Trait Filters: Prevent rerolling off traits like Dead Eye or Fortune by accident.
- Familiar Filters by Element
- Refurbished Team Interface: See total DPS, placement cost, income, and element balance.
- Summon Autofusing: Choose rarities to fuse automatically while summoning.
- Custom Profile Units
- Active Ability Visuals in Upgrade Bars
- Lobby Lighting Improvements
- Bug Fixes & Optimizations: Including better netcode and performance upgrades.
NEW BUNDLES
5 New Limited-Time Bundles:
Including drip skins, cavalry bikes, and more.
Trophy-Only Emotes: Tidy Gritty, Boogie Down, and Honor One now available.
TRAITLESS MODE & INDEX TRACKING
World Lines Traitless Leaderboard Added
Boss Unlock Chance Index: Track which bosses you’ve unlocked and their drop rates.