The long-awaited Hōgyoku Fusion Update has arrived, marking one of the most ambitious expansions yet for Sakura Stand. This patch introduces a brand-new Aizen Sosuke (Hōgyoku Fusion) Spec, an entirely new dungeon, multiple crafting recipes, and a deep evolution questline that dives into the lore of Aizen’s transformation.
If you’re chasing raw power or exploring new endgame content, this guide covers every addition, change, and hidden mechanic of the update.
New Spec: Aizen Sosuke (Hōgyoku Fusion)
The highlight of this update is the Aizen Sosuke (Hōgyoku Fusion) spec — a divine evolution form that transcends previous Aizen builds. This version taps into the Hōgyoku’s power of Desire Materialization, unlocking reality-bending abilities and devastating control over illusion and energy.
How to Unlock Hōgyoku Form
To unlock Desire Materialization (Hōgyoku Aizen), you’ll need to follow a specific in-game ritual:
Activate Dead Ringer Passive.
This is required before triggering any evolutions.
Use Shatter and Kyōka Suigetsu four times while the passive is active.
Once all four activations are completed, the Hōgyoku will awaken, transforming Aizen into his fused form.
This sequence is part of the Aizen Evolution Questline, which unfolds in the new area Menos Forest and ties directly to the storyline of the Underworld Prince of Darkness NPC.
New Locations & Bosses
Menos Forest
A newly opened area located deep within the Hueco Mundo Abyss.
- Expect massive Menos enemies, cursed Hollows, and lore fragments related to Aizen’s experiments.
- Ideal for farming new materials like Gillian’s Nose, dropped by the Menos Grande boss.
Fake Sakura Town (New Dungeon)
A surreal and corrupted reflection of the main world, Fake Sakura Town is the latest dungeon featuring advanced-level enemies and heavy lore integration.
Drops special ingredients used for crafting exclusive consumables.
Contains the Mad Scientist, a crucial quest NPC tied to Aizen’s evolution.
Questline Note: Aizen Evolution
During the quest “Into the Sakura Stand”, you’ll encounter the Mad Scientist, who has a 2-minute guaranteed spawn window.
The timer begins after speaking to the Underworld Prince of Darkness (UPOD).
Make sure to stay in the area and prepare before interacting — if you miss the window, you’ll need to restart the sequence.
Completing this questline rewards both progression toward Aizen’s fusion form and access to certain late-game materials.
New NPC: Underworld Prince of Darkness
Known as UPOD, this mysterious entity serves as the key quest-giver for the Aizen Fusion storyline.
Found within Hueco Mundo’s lower abyss region.
Unlocks the main Aizen evolution objectives and allows access to the Menos Forest portal.
Interacting with UPOD also begins the Mad Scientist timer, crucial for Aizen’s awakening.
New Crafting Recipes
Five new cooking and alchemy recipes have been added, expanding both utility and lore flavor. Each crafted item can provide buffs or be used in specific transformation conditions.
| Recipe | Description / Use |
|---|---|
| Amarita Drop | Mysterious essence that enhances flow state abilities. |
| Gourmet Meal | Boosts stamina recovery and combat regen. |
| Sakura King Curry Set | Rare consumable linked to event bosses; boosts all resistances temporarily. |
| Monosodium Glutamate Syrup (Pasteurized) | Enhances drop rates and cooking success for a limited time. |
| Rib Eye | Increases HP regen; used in strength-based builds. |
These can be crafted via the Cooking and Synthesis stations after unlocking their recipes from event drops or by progressing through Aizen’s storyline.
New Items & Drop Sources
| Item | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alternate Universe Honey | Beehive Event | A cosmic honey used in rare synthesis and hidden crafting. |
| Monosodium Glutamate (Glutton Curse) | Cursed Beast Boss | A strange cursed powder, linked to the new recipe line. |
| Gillian’s Nose | Menos Grande (Menos Forest) | Unique crafting part dropped by Menos-class enemies. |
| Cursed Eye | Paper Curse Enemies | Used in higher-tier crafting recipes and illusion-based upgrades. |
Each new material plays a role in advanced recipes or Aizen’s quest evolution, so don’t discard them.
Active Codes
Redeem these in-game for limited-time rewards, boosts, or currencies:
- Sorry4Delay
- RestHasRested
- Metamorphosis
Use them before they expire to grab extra resources for Aizen’s progression and crafting.
Character Changes & Rebalances
This update also delivers several balance and quality-of-life improvements, particularly focusing on Hina and Rock Human users.
Hina
Overheat: No longer grants iFrames (invincibility).
Now provides grab immunity instead.
The End: Destroyer [H]:
Stun range reduced from 45 → 20 studs
Stun duration reduced from 8s → 3s
EX [G]:
Stun range reduced from 45 → 10 studs
Damage halved
Opening Scene (Ishbóshet [T variant]):
Projectiles no longer pass through walls.
Auto lock removed for fairer combat.
Rock Human
Barrage (E) Reworked:
Adjusted for better responsiveness and balance.
Smooth animation flow and reduced delay between hits.
Quality of Life Improvements
Stand Storage Search: Added a search function for easier management.
Item Storage Expansion: Maximum item slots increased by 3, giving players more space for new crafting materials and event items.
The Hōgyoku Fusion Update marks a turning point in Sakura Stand’s progression system. It not only introduces one of the most lore-rich transformations in the game — Aizen’s fusion with the Hōgyoku — but also expands the world with new bosses, crafting recipes, and dungeons.
This patch rewards both explorers and power players: the former will enjoy uncovering hidden event triggers in Hueco Mundo, while the latter can push for Aizen’s ultimate evolution and new stat combinations.