Sega announced a new Virtua Fighter project that will push the game as an eSport title. The Japanese company, so far, calls it “Virtua Fighter x eSports.”
During a Tokyo Games Show live stream, Sega talked about reviving Virtua Fighter. The Virtua Fighter x eSports project plans to do so, but they are yet to release any details. The nature of the project is unclear, and what materials it will utilize.
Virtua Fighter is the granddaddy of 3D fighting games
Virtua Fighter is one of the premier fighting game titles of all-time. It started what is now famous as the “3D fighting game” in the 90s. Their groundbreaking work lay the foundation for every 3D fighter in existence today.
The game was also the inspiration for many 3D graphics engines within many generations. Big-name devs like John Romero, Fumito Ueda, and Sony took VF’s lead into consideration.
Even then, the game received a sharp decline over the years. The popularity of rivals like Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter killed off the title. The last iteration of the title, Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, came out in 2010.
Sega wants to revitalize the game back to its former glory. How they’ll do it is anybody’s guess, but the company is yet to announce a new entry into the franchise.
“Virtua Fighter,” which was born as the world’s first 3D fighting game in 1993, will be restarted as an esports title to commemorate the 60th anniversary of SEGA’s establishment,” says the post on their website, verified with Google Translate.
Sega is looking to make more competitive titles
Virtua Fighter x eSports is a curious project that warrants much adulation from the fighting games community. The iconic gameplay and roster of Virtua Fighter is beautiful. Every character had their specific martial art style – a boon at the time.
格ゲーの金字塔が、ついにeスポーツで復活!
「バーチャファイター×esportsプロジェクト」発表!
1993年に世界初の3D格闘ゲームとして誕生した「バーチャファイター」が、セガ設立60周年を記念し、まずは国内で再始動します。今後の続報にご期待ください!#VF #セガTGS2020 #SEGA60th pic.twitter.com/qdDXEQSDsy
— セガ公式アカウント🦔 (@SEGA_OFFICIAL) September 25, 2020
While the community doesn’t know what’s in store, Sega is clear with their message. They’re looking to create a competitive angle to their titles. Their most recent move to do so is Puyo Puyo Champions, a competitive puzzle title.
If Sega is looking into the competitive fighting games genre, they need a new Virtua Fighter. While Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is excellent, it has an outdated feel to it. Even then, VF5FS is the purest fighting game genre in the market.
The system within VF5 is deep and masterful, which is perfect for a tournament. The title has the right balance between its characters, and there’s no superpowered shenaniganry around it.
Virtua Fighter x eSport is a wait and see project everyone needs to observe. More updates are coming in the months to come, which is perfect for the fighting games community.
Featured image courtesy of Fighters Generation/Youtube Screenshot