Sega and Atlus have had an especially strong 2024 compared to many AAA publishers and developers right now, producing hits likeMetaphor: ReFantazio,Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth,Sonic X Shadow Generations, and more throughout the year. Its future prospects also look good, withLike A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiidue in early 2025, and a retro revival initiative underway to bring back franchises likeShinobi,Jet Set Radio,Crazy Taxi, and so on. Rumors have been circulating that aVirtua Fighter 6could be part of Sega’s plans, and, fortunately, there is indeed anotherVirtua Fighteraround the corner.
In a recent interview with VGC, Sega’s global head of transmedia Justin Scarpone revealed thatVirtua Fighterhas joined the ranks of legacy series receiving new installments. Whilerumblings of a newVirtua Fighterhad begun as early asVirtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown’s launch in June 2021, leaker tweets and vague developer statements have only piled up since. As recently as the beginning of October 2024, Sega even tweeted a short video under the word “SE6A,” fueling speculation further. Outsiders are likely puzzled by the strong reaction to this news, but fans can’t help but celebrate a nearly twenty-year dry streak being broken.
The History of Virtua Fighter, Explained
Virtua Fighterhas been a name to know in fighting games since its arcade debut back in 1993. While not exactly the first 3D fighting game,Virtua Fighterset the standard for 3D fighting gamesto follow, directly resulting inTekken’s creation a year later and serving as the template forDead or Alive’s three-button controls. It was extremely successful in arcades and made a competent leap to Sega’s consoles, becoming well-known for its gameplay and cutting-edge presentation. Unfortunately, global arcade popularity shifted toward consoles and Sega’s console line ended, foreshadowing an abrupt end toVirtua Fighter’s reign.
Virtua Fighter 5’s Era Seemed Like The Series’ Final Stop
Most of the 24 namedVirtua Fightertitles came out beforeVirtua Fighter 5launched for arcades in 2006 and consoles in 2007, so the series subsisting onVF5iterations for a few years wasn’t initially cause for concern. It was during the nearly empty stretch betweenVF5’s 2012Final Showdownrevision for PS3 and Xbox 360 andUltimate Showdown’s PS4 release in 2021when fans realized the series was on its last legs. For years, the series was only kept alive through modernYakuzatitles incorporating emulated copies ofVF5FS. Even afterUltimate Showdowndrew in new fans, hopes were not high forVirtua Fighterto escape its life support.
Virtua Fighter’s Hiatus Has Now Officially Ended
Now, however, the end ofVirtua Fighter 5’s nearly 20-year reign as the last consoleVirtua Fighteris suddenly in sight. Fighting games had a resurgence afterStreet Fighter 4’s console launch in 2009, butVirtua Fighter’s flashy 3D fighter competition has, for better and for worse, mostly dried up.VF’s arch-rivalTekkenrules the subgenre uncontested, but that’s becauseMortal Kombatjumped back to 2D, whileSoul CaliburandDead or Alivefailed to stay afloat.Virtua Fighter’s back-to-basics approach managed to survive its downtime thanks to its enduring qualities and internal Sega support, and it’s ready to mount a comeback.
The Present and Future of Virtua Fighter
The roadmap for what might beVirtua Fighter 6is, like many of Sega’s other IP revival plans, rather vague right now. Without early footage or a description to gauge completion, the newVirtua Fightercould still be years away. Some veteranVFplayers are also concerned over scattered developer mentions of adding something to make a modernVirtua Fighterstand out, as the series typically trades the fantastical visual flair of other fighting franchises foruniquely-Virtua Fighterconsistency and efficiency. However it ends up, a newVirtua Fighteris officially on its way, and after this long, that’s more than enough reason to celebrate.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
WHERE TO PLAY
The legendary fighting series returns with Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown! Challenge the greatest fighters in the world in the ultimate remaster of the classic 3D fighter, now featuring gorgeous HD graphics, new online features, and all the bone-crunching, martial arts combat of the renowned original. Battle through classic VF modes like “Arcade” or “Rank Match,” create your own custom online tournaments and leagues with up to 16 friends, or learn from the best with the new “Spectator Mode.” Master your fighting style to defeat all challengers in the Fifth World Fighting Tournament and become a Virtua Fighter legend!“Ora, Ora, ORA!”Features: Custom Combatants: Enter the ring with one of the 19 playable characters. Master each of their unique fighting styles and customize them with distinctive costumes and character itemsThe Full Experience: Experience the pinnacle of the Virtua Fighter experience as you play your favorite classic modes like “Rank Match”, “Arcade”, “Training”, and “Versus”.Crush the Competition: Take on all challengers as you compete with up to 16 players in new online modes including “Tournaments” and “League.”The Ultimate Remaster: Play classic VF5 in glorious HD with updated character models, stages, and cinematics.Legendary Pack: Get a blast from the past as you play Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown with customization items, characters models*, stages*** and music straight out of the ground breaking original Virtua Fighter game.The designs have been remade for this title based on the original Virtua Fighter designs.The original Virtua Fighter stages cannot be used at the online matches.
