BUDDiES

maimai でらっくす BUDDiES, known by the Chinese character 双 ("pair" or "duo"), released on September 14, 2023. It is the fifth version of the maimai DX series and the 22nd overall. True to its name, BUDDiES places a heavy emphasis on cooperative multiplayer, visualized through a vibrant party-themed aesthetic. The key addition is the revival of the Utage Hall (宴会場, "Banquet Hall"), a category of novelty/party charts unlocked at 10,000+ DX Rating. Within it, newly introduced Buddy Charts (バディ譜面) are designed exclusively for two-player play on the same cabinet, featuring cross-hand patterns and physical interaction between players. These charts display a combined achievement rate (capped at 202%) and combo from both sides. Utage and Buddy chart results do not affect DX Rating or Total Score.

Beyond the multiplayer focus, BUDDiES brought several quality-of-life improvements: speed settings now adjust in 0.25-step increments from 1.00 to 10.00, songs can be sorted by BPM, tour member awakening animations can be skipped, and player names can now include hiragana and katakana characters (Japan only) with changes limited to once per 10 credits. The version introduced Sync Play as a guaranteed status when two players share a cabinet, with combined two-player rankings on maimai-NET. Area design evolved with the first-ever occurrence of multiple Perfect Challenges per Area, and a hidden sasakure.UK Area chain mechanic. Legend class promotion was locked until the season start, with Legend wins awarding a fixed 4 SP. All FESTiVAL Areas were retired with their songs unlocked by default.