Yes, we still have a forum.
—Tell us about yourself and your career so far. Riichiro Yamada (hereafter Yamada): I’m Riichiro Yamada, the producer of this project. I joined SEGA in 1999 as a game designer, and over the years I’ve been involved in all sorts of projects, from console titles to mobile games. At one point, I actually left SEGA and worked on game development at Warner Bros. Entertainment, but I returned to the company in 2023. I’m what you’d call a boomerang employee (laughs). After I came back to SEGA, the idea for a new Virtua Fighter started taking shape, and I’ve been involved in the project since its inception. —How did the New VIRTUA FIGHTER Project come to be? Yamada: Many players have long wanted to see Virtua Fighter revived and hoped something would be done about it. Since arcades have shrunk as a market for fighting games, we decided to focus our efforts on the console market instead. Meanwhile, within SEGA, the Virtua Fighter team was integrated into RGG Studio, which prompted discussions about properly revisiting older IPs. Before long, people started saying, “Let’s make Virtua Fighter,” and I was assigned to oversee the project as producer. —When the project was first launched, did you have a shared goal or vision within the team? Yamada: Of course, our goal is to make a game worthy of being nominated for Game of the Year. Like the very first Virtua Fighter, we want a title that doesn’t just sit within the “fighting game” mold. The fighting game genre tends to be seen as a special, niche category. But Virtua Fighter actually isn’t like that; it’s easy for anyone to pick up and play, and I think that’s one of its strengths. If a game isn’t something anyone can enjoy, it won’t reach the level of recognition needed to ...
1. [SW2] Mario Kart World (Nintendo, 06/05/25) – 49,586 (2,251,711)2. [SW2] Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo, 11/20/25) – 46,287 (241,881)3. [NSW] Pokemon Legends: Z-A (The Pokemon Company, 10/16/25) – 35,225 (1,306,801)...25. [NSW] Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 (Aniplex, 08/01/25) – 2,102 (151,887)...29. [NSW] Sumikkogurashi: Create a Wonderful Sumikko Island! (Nippon Columbia, 11/20/25) – 1,853 (4,385)30. [NSW] Splatoon 3 (Nintendo, 09/09/22) – 1,735 (4,486,624)Note: Asia and Western version of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 were published by SEGA.
Evo Japan: May 1-3, 2026Evo Las Vegas: June 26-28, 2026Evo France: Oct 9-11, 2026Evo Singapore: Early 2027📰HERE'S THE EVO JAPAN 2026 LINE-UP- STREET FIGHTER 6- TEKKEN 8- GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-- THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV- GRANBLUE FANTASY VERSUS: RISING- VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 R.E.V.O. WORLD STAGE- FATAL FURY: CITY OF THE WOLVES- DARKSTALKERS: THE LORD OF VAMPIRES - UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II- HOKUTO NO KEN- MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA- 2XKOMAY 01 - 03, 2026!HERE'S THE EVO LAS VEGAS 2026 LINE-UP- STREET FIGHTER 6- TEKKEN 8- FATAL FURY: CITY OF THE WOLVES- UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II- GRANBLUE FANTASY VERSUS: RISING- RIVAL OF AETHER II- 2XKO- GUILTY GEAR STRIVE- VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 R.E.V.O. WORLD STAGE- BLAZBLUE CENTRAL FICTION- VAMPIRE SAVIOR: THE LORD OF VAMPIRES- INVINCIBLE VSJUNE 26 - 28, 2026!
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—When taking on the project, what did you identify as the “core” of the Virtua Fighter franchise that absolutely needed to be preserved in the new installment? Yamada: If I had to put it into words, it would be “reality.” I think most people would struggle to give a simple answer when asked to define what makes Virtua Fighter good. With 2D fighting games like Capcom’s Street Fighter series, it’s easier to grasp their defining characteristics, and I get the impression that their core features have remained largely consistent throughout new entries – they’ve evolved while cherishing their foundations. But the essence of Virtua Fighter is harder to sum up in one sentence. That means there are many different aspects we must preserve in order to clearly define what kind of game it is. If I had to describe all those elements in one word, it would be “reality.” Not “realism,” but reality. New Virtua Fighter If we were to simply incorporate the realistic movements of actual martial arts, we’d just end up making “a game about that martial art.” For us, the priority is to make something fun, something that feels good, and then, on top of that, we want it to feel real. —So it’s a matter of balancing game-like qualities with real-world believability? Yamada: Exactly. I believe “reality” lies in balancing events that don’t normally happen with those that feel like they could happen precisely because humans are involved. Drawing that line and translating it into the game is challenging, but it’s a core element of Virtua Fighter. Also, Virtua Fighter has always been an innovator, a title that has been at the forefront of new things. Because of that, it doesn’t resemble much else; which allows it to occupy a truly unique position. I think that sense of uniqueness is also ...
“Interrupting gameplay for visual flair is unacceptable in a fighting game.” New VIRTUA FIGTHER Project producer talks about the title’s pursuit of “reality, not realism”Full interview here: https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/interrupting-gameplay-for-visual-flair-is-unacceptable-in-a-fighting-game-new-virtua-figther-project-producer-talks-about-the-titles-pursuit-of-reality/
