Virtua Fighter Returns: The OG is Back
Sega has officially unveiled a brand-new Virtua Fighter trailer at The Game Awards 2024. This is the first mainline entry in the series since 2006. It’s been a long time, so naturally, the game’s reveal has longtime VF veterans buzzing with excitement.
First of all, the game’s graphics look incredible. As the original 3D fighting game — yes, even before Tekken — Virtua Fighter helped pave the way in pioneering 3D graphics. With no current-gen Soulcalibur or Dead or Alive fighting games — titles notoriously known for dominating the 3D fighting arena — even Mortal Kombat, which had an almost 10-year journey into 3D with games like Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, had stepped away from the space. This left Katsuhiro Harada’s Tekken without much competition in the 3D fighting game market. Harada took to X back in July 2024, saying:
“9 years… No wonder I’m getting older. And for years now, all that is announced are 2D fighting games, whether they are completely new games or numbered games. The fact that there are no competing 3D Fighting Game titles is just unfortunate for me.”
But it looks like that’s all changing now. The game is planned for release in 2025 and will launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The classic and stoic Akira was seen in the trailer alongside a new character, “Stella,” who looks strikingly similar to Sarah Bryant. The in-game character renders were revealed during SEGA’s live stream after The Game Awards, titled Virtua Fighter Direct.
During the live broadcast, the development team shared only a few details about what we can expect from the new entry in the franchise. They emphasized their desire for Virtua Fighter to once again be known for its innovation in fighting games, just as it was back in 1993 when it first introduced the world to 3D fighting.
Surprisingly, during the live stream, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang even made an appearance, supporting and congratulating SEGA on the revival of the franchise. He cited the historical significance of the decades-long partnership between NVIDIA and SEGA as they strive to deliver the very best visuals for Virtua Fighter.
The global fighting game community is thrilled about the return of this long-underrated but iconic franchise. Not only did the trailer showcase a few seconds of incredible, fluid gameplay that Virtua Fighter is known for, but fans can also look forward to continued innovation and a return to the basics that make fighting games great — depth, balance, and character mastery.