I’m just as sad as you are
Are you one of the few that got excited ever since Sega started digging into its bag of older IPs? Perhaps hoping that now that they’re looking at the games that made the company great in the past and revisit them? Well, sure, who isn’t? Sadly, if one of those games your looking forward to is a Virtua Fighter. Well, you’re going to be disappointed if you are.
Even now, Sega still has no plans for their flagship fighting title. While Virtua Fighter was/is a highly technical game, it was still an amazing game to get into. Even more amazing to watch when experts played the game. I suppose Sega just doesn’t see a place for the game in a crowded, yet evolving fighting game scene. As seen on a recent tweet from Sega of Europe, there are still no plans for anything concerning the series.
https://twitter.com/SEGA_Europe/status/1058361525176619009
Yes, It really saddens my heart that we still won’t see a new Virtua Fighter game. Despite the last games we received were Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Version B, with Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown being released for the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 during 2012. The latter of which was also added a fully playable game in Yakuza 6. A second player can also get into the action. In fact, I know a few people who picked up Yakuza 6, mainly to play Virtua Fighter 5. We even saw the game being played at EVO 2018 as a side tournament game – a testament to the game still being popular in the fighting game scene.
But about that recent trademark that got renewed for Virtua Fighter? What about that, indeed. Considering that Sega of Europe stating there’s nothing planned for a new VF game. One can only assume this trademark is for just renewing the trademark. Something that companies must do or they risk losing their trademark. Or perhaps it could be for something else; an anime, toys, and more. A worst-case scenario (for gamers) is that the trademark is for something arcade related, like a slot machine/pachinko machine or even a mobile game.
I suppose, for now, Virtua Fighter will have to live on with the characters showing up in other titles. Such as Akira showing up as a trophy character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and previously released Super Smash Bros. titles. Along with Akira Yuki, Pai Chan, Jacky and Sarah Bryant showing up in the Dead Or Alive series, as well as in several other titles.
The granddaddy of 3D fighting games, sitting out during the resurgence of the 3D fighting game genre just doesn’t seem right. A game that was neck and neck with the Bandai Namco’s Tekken series at one point. A game that has also been in the forefront of the limelight for a while now. Not to mention the rebirth of Soulcalibur series, and Dead or Alive 6 is being worked on. It’s not too far-fetched to say that 3D fighters are coming back in a big way (not that they ever left).
C’mon Sega, let us know that you’re just joking and that you have something planned for a new Virtua Fighter game. Hell, at this point I’d even take a Fighters MegaMix 2. Just stay far, far, far away from a new Virtua Fighter Kids game.
