There has been speculation for some time that a new “Virtua Fighter” game was in development. At last year’s “Game Awards” ceremony, SEGA revealed they were working on updated versions of SEGA classics like “Jet Set Radio”, “Golden Axe”, and “Shinobi” among others, so the theory was that other old SEGA properties would see new entries revealed before too long. Then, just last month, a new revised version of “Virtua Fighter 5” (titled “Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.”) was announced as coming to PC (Steam), and while that sounded promising, the fear among fans was: “Is THIS the ‘new’ Virtua Fighter game were were waiting on? Where’s Virtua Fighter 6?” But now, the wait is finally over:
A trailer for a new “Virtua Game” in development was revealed at this year’s Game Award’s ceremony (though the number “6” wasn’t in the title anywhere):
But the reveals didn’t end there: Following the Game Awards, SEGA held a a surprise “Virtua Fighter 30th Anniversary Direct” presentation online – though it’s unclear on the anniversary being celebrated, as the original Virtua Fighter was released in arcades in 1993. Perhaps this is for the 30th anniversary for the release of the original Virtua Fighter on Sega Saturn console back in November of 1994?
Anyway, the Direct had several reveals:
The PlayStation 4 version (titled “Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown”, released in 2021) received a free update that same day: the “Version 2.0” update featured balance adjustments to the game mechanics, along with the return of combo attacks that had been removed in prior versions.
The upcoming PC version (the “Virtua Fighter R.E.V.O.” edition that was mentioned above) had it’s release date revealed for January 28th, 2025 (though an “Open Beta” period is available this weekend, for those that want to try it out). It will use the same “Version 2.0” update that the “Ultimate Showdown” version uses, alongside improved 4K/60 FPS visuals (and rollback netcode, allowing for smoother online gameplay).They also revealed plans for a “Virtual Fighter Open Championship” tournament to be held at some point in Spring, 2025.
They also revealed a new “30th Anniversary” section on the Virtua Fighter website, with new merchandise to celebrate the occasion, including new “Collector’s Edition” copies of “Virtua Fighter 2” and “Virtual Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown”, from Limited Run Games.
Here’s the full presentation:
No release date (or even a release window) was given for the newest Virtua Fighter that was just announced, or even which platforms it will be available on. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X seem likely, but what about PC? And will it be on the Nintendo Switch successor? Stay tuned, as further info becomes available.
Discuss this article on the Toonzone Forums!
The post SEGA Reveals New “Virtua Fighter” Game, Holds “30th Anniversary” Event For The Franchise appeared first on Anime Superhero News.
