25 Games With The Coolest Skill-Cancel Tech

Many games offer advanced techniques where skilled players can interrupt animations and quickly link together actions. Mastering these ‘skill cancels’ – which require precise timing – allows for faster combos, shorter movements, and new ways to navigate levels or defeat enemies. This is common in games like fighting games, action games, platformers, and shooters, and it really shines when the game’s systems are designed to support it. Here are some great examples of how complex these techniques can be.

Devil May Cry 5

Jump canceling allows you to chain attacks together by jumping off an enemy right when your attack lands, keeping the combo going. Similarly, well-timed teleports and Royalguard releases can interrupt recovery and quickly change your position during a fight. Switching weapons mid-attack eliminates delays in certain moves and helps maintain the flow of combos. Using these techniques builds up your style meter because you keep the pressure on your opponent without letting them escape.

Bayonetta

Okay, so mastering this game is all about minimizing downtime. Witch Time lets me keep attacking even after a dodge, cutting down on recovery frames. Dodge Offset is amazing because I can dodge an attack and seamlessly continue my combo – no broken chains! I also figured out that swapping weapons right as I hit an enemy speeds up recovery on certain moves and keeps enemies launched. And the coolest thing? I can start inputting the commands for a Torture Attack during other animations, so it flows right into the finisher. It’s all about keeping the pressure on!

Guilty Gear Strive

Roman Cancels significantly shorten the recovery time of most moves and create a slowdown effect, allowing for more diverse combo possibilities. A technique called Drift Roman Cancel lets players move during the cancel, changing the distance between characters and opening up new options for switching sides. Landing a hit during an opponent’s vulnerable state, combined with precise cancel timing, can turn simple attacks into opportunities to push them into the corner. Utilizing Faultless Defense during a cancel modifies movement in the air, letting players either escape pressure or reposition themselves for a better attack.

Street Fighter 6

Using Drive Rush to cancel out of a blocked attack or a normal move makes your recovery faster and lets you continue applying pressure. It also makes connecting combos and links easier by giving you a better frame advantage. Canceling into your super move is still a key strategy, and choosing different levels for it can change the amount of damage and your options afterward. A perfectly timed parry minimizes the distance your opponent is pushed back, allowing you to connect with follow-up attacks that would normally miss.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3

X Factor eliminates restrictions when activated, allowing you to continue attacking even in situations that would normally be blocked. Players can smoothly transition from regular attacks into special moves – a technique called ‘kara canceling’ – to extend combos and control the distance between themselves and their opponent. In team battles, precise timing of cancels during aerial attacks lets you switch between characters mid-combo, maintaining the flow of the attack. You can also use assist characters during your recovery frames to enhance your defense while approaching or create unpredictable attack patterns from canceled movements.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Super Smash Bros., skilled players use techniques to move and attack faster. ‘L canceling’ minimizes the delay after landing from an aerial attack by pressing the shield button right before touching the ground. ‘Wavedashing’ involves using an angled air dodge to quickly slide across the stage, allowing for rapid movement. Certain grabs and upward attacks can be ‘jump canceled’ to eliminate their initial startup time, creating faster opportunities to punish opponents. Finally, ‘shield dropping’ on platforms lets you quickly exit your shield and attack sooner.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Vanish lets you quickly move behind your opponent after hitting or blocking, stopping attack combos. Using a super dash cancel after certain attacks keeps the pressure on while also changing how high or low you are. Sparking Blast interrupts your recovery animation and opens up new aerial movement options. Calling in assists at the right moment during a block string can create unblockable combos or reset the situation to your advantage, depending on how quickly you can cancel.

Tekken 8

As a fan, I’ve been studying how players use backdashes to move around quickly. They basically cancel the end of a backdash with precise button presses, letting them slide and create space while still being ready to punish an opponent’s mistake. Then there’s Heat Burst and Heat Dash, which cancel attacks and keep the pressure on. One of the coolest things is wave dashing – it lets you go straight into powerful electric attacks from a crouch. And the character’s stance changes aren’t just for show – they have built-in cancels that help avoid getting punished and can even trick opponents into attacking at the wrong time!

The King of Fighters XV

Short and hyper jumps let you avoid pressure in the air while making it easier to land safely. Max Mode lets you quickly chain special moves into super moves and extend combos with more hits. Successfully canceling a guard or breaking through an opponent’s block with a roll or blowback attack can relieve pressure. Finally, using run stop cancels after certain normal attacks helps you control spacing and maintain consistent combos.

Nier Automata

Switching weapons during an attack cancels the usual recovery time, letting you stay mobile in combat. Using pod programs allows you to fire your weapon even while performing melee attacks. A perfectly timed evade creates a brief opening for immediate counterattacks, without needing to wait for your character to recover. And, canceling aerial attacks into a glide helps you maintain altitude, letting you cross gaps and avoid obstacles.

Doom Eternal

Rapidly switching weapons resets your firing speed, allowing for increased damage output. Swinging with the Meathook can be immediately followed by mid-air shots to maintain distance and stay in the air. Activating a Glory Kill cancels any reload in progress and replenishes resources, giving you control over fight resets with proper timing. The Flame Belch and grenade commands are executed even during quick weapon switches, helping you maintain armor and keep enemies staggered.

Hades

Using ‘dash cancel’ effectively cuts short the ending of many attacks, letting you seamlessly link together quick attack sequences. Some special abilities, boosted by ‘boons’, let you cancel into spells, allowing you to deal continuous damage while staying protected. Building up ‘call meter’ can interrupt the recovery time of your actions, giving you a moment of invulnerability and letting you change position. By paying attention to how enemies signal their attacks, you can use cancels to avoid damage and keep your valuable items safe.

Dead Cells

Quickly stopping attacks allows you to dodge damage and keep up a consistent rhythm. You can also jump during attacks to shorten animations and move around more quickly. Placing traps is timed to happen while you’re briefly invincible during a roll, making it safer to set up your defenses. Choosing specific upgrades can speed up these actions even further, letting you move and attack more efficiently.

Celeste

Performing a jump right as a dash finishes lets you maintain extra speed. Quickly switching to a neutral jump after climbing helps you recover stamina and keep your momentum. Corner boosting involves using a dash and wall contact to quickly move across gaps. Finally, mastering regrab timing allows you to avoid slowing down while climbing, helping you move smoothly through levels.

Hollow Knight

Nail Pogo lets you continue moving by bouncing off enemies or obstacles instead of landing. Casting spells right before a swing finishes speeds up your attacks. Shadow Dash prevents you from being pushed back, letting you continue combos. You can cancel Nail Arts with a jump or dash when they hit, helping you reposition to a safer spot.

Warframe

Using a combination of slide canceling and bullet jumping lets you move quickly while also resetting your aim. You can shorten the recovery time after a melee attack by canceling it into a roll, allowing you to continue your combo. Interrupting a reload with a quick ability cast keeps your fire going without pausing. Finally, switching to an Operator during a knockdown cancels the animation and lets you immediately continue moving with a void dash.

Ninja Gaiden Black

Roll Cancel eliminates significant recovery delays after certain attacks, making your actions safer. Successfully timing attacks after landing allows you to follow up with Izuna Drop for a guaranteed hit. Blocking and immediately releasing allows for quick counterattacks after blocking an enemy’s attack. Switching weapons during a combo alters the attack’s characteristics while keeping the opponent airborne.

Kingdom Hearts II

Quickly canceling actions into movement helps you stay safe during challenging boss attacks and reduces pauses between moves. Guarding then immediately running minimizes downtime and lets you set up for more attacks. Canceling a finishing move with an aerial dodge maintains your combo’s height and keeps it going against bigger enemies. Changing forms allows you to seamlessly transition into new attack sequences, continuing combos without interruption.

Monster Hunter Rise

Switch Skill Swap and Evade let you quickly dodge attacks, become briefly invulnerable, and change your stance, all while interrupting your weapon’s actions. Using the Wirebug during attacks cancels the ending animation, letting you continue aerial combos or avoid enemy attacks. Certain weapon moves have ‘guard points’ which allow you to turn defense into offense. Finally, Silkbind skills can be linked with swap timing to keep the pressure on enemies without leaving yourself open for too long.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Clutch Claw’s quick strike can interrupt a monster’s recovery, creating opportunities to attack. Guard Points let you immediately counter after blocking an attack. Quickly sheathing your weapon and evading reduces the delay after slow attacks. Using the Mantle lets you dodge and gain temporary invincibility, allowing you to safely reposition and re-engage in battle.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Deflect stops your opponent’s attacks by immediately resetting the flow of combat when you’re hit. Mikiri Counter specifically stops incoming thrusts and instantly deals posture damage. You can cancel out of sweeps by jumping, letting you keep the offensive advantage and follow up with an aerial attack. Finally, you can quickly transition from powerful combat arts into a step dodge to avoid being countered.

Elden Ring

Input buffering lets you quickly cancel the lengthy recovery animations of heavy weapons by pressing buttons right when you hit. Movement abilities like quick step and Bloodhound’s Step can interrupt attack animations and move you through enemies. Guard counters turn a block into a fast attack, skipping the usual delays. Switching spells right after casting one finishes reduces downtime and helps you maintain a constant offensive flow when using multiple spells.

Dark Souls III

Rolling cancels the recovery frames of your attacks, letting you reposition and avoid getting hit. If you land a hit with a weapon art that has hyper armor, you can quickly roll to stay safe. Switching between one-handed and two-handed stances lets you adjust how much stamina your actions cost and how quickly they happen. Players can also heal with Estus Flasks faster by using the environment and keeping a safe distance, fitting heals in between other actions.

Astral Chain

Legion’s recall ability skips the usual recovery time, immediately bringing your companion back to defend. You can set up chain binds that activate right after your attacks finish, keeping enemies trapped without openings. Using Perfect Call after hitting an enemy resets your position, making it easier to follow up with launcher attacks. If you time your synchronized attacks correctly during an opponent’s vulnerable moments, you can extend your combos while maintaining control of the fight.

Apex Legends

Using slide jumps in quick succession keeps your speed up when moving between different surfaces. Bouncing off walls lets you quickly change direction, helping you avoid enemy fire. Tapping a movement key after a slide or jump lets you adjust your direction while in the air, keeping the pressure on opponents without leaving yourself vulnerable. And abilities like grapples or dashes can be used immediately after risky movements to help you recover and escape quickly.

Tell us about tech you’ve successfully cancelled – what did you cancel, and what tips helped you do it? Share your experiences in the comments!

2025-11-17 15:48