Short answers, pulled from the story.
Arika released a trailer for an untitled 3D fighting game prototype on the 1st of April 2017. Staff members had been working with Unreal Engine 4 to create this project before the public reveal.
Akira Nishitani, the president of Arika, confirmed the project at Evo 2017 later that year. The company self-funded the entire development process without external financial backing.
Fighting EX Layer introduced a system called Gougi Boost during matches in 2018. Players could customize these boosts by selecting specific decks before starting a battle to grant additional bonuses and enhancements throughout gameplay.
PlayStation 4 received the game on the 28th of June 2018 as the original platform. Microsoft Windows and arcade versions followed shortly after in November 2018.
The initial launch featured thirteen playable characters drawn from the Street Fighter EX series. Four free updates added more fighters to the roster after the June 2018 release to expand the total count to eighteen available fighters.