SEGA VS Fighting Games - "Better run home to mama now!"

[Berto]

Interview: New VIRTUA FIGHTER Project is fully aiming for GOTY.
A game that’s “fundamentally fun,” beyond the confines of the fighting game niche

—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 ...

Full interview: https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/new-virtua-fighter-project-is-fully-aiming-for-goty-a-game-thats-fundamentally-fun-beyond-the-confines-of-the-fighting-game-niche/

[Berto]

Famitsu Sales: November 24, 2025 – November 30, 2025

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.

Article: https://www.gematsu.com/2025/12/famitsu-sales-11-24-25-11-30-25

[Berto]

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is announced for EVO JAPAN 2026 and EVO LAS VEGAS 2026

Evo Japan: May 1-3, 2026
Evo Las Vegas: June 26-28, 2026
Evo France: Oct 9-11, 2026
Evo 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
- 2XKO

MAY 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 VS

JUNE 26 - 28, 2026!

Source: https://x.com/FGC_Daily/status/1998562534656524494

[Berto]

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage – ACCOLADES TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSaoW9UD418

Nominated for The Game Awards 2025 - Best Fighting Game. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is the ULTIMATE pure martial arts experience. See why critics are calling it a triumph. 

AVAILABLE NOW on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam

Link: https://virtua-fighter.com/revo/jp/

[Berto]

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax / Persona 3 Reload Mitsuru Fan Art by tak0baka



Source: https://www.tumblr.com/tak0baka

[Berto]

“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”

—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 ...

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/

[Mystic Monkey]

“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/

So, he means like, he wanted the fighting to look realistic, and the punches and kickes to look weighted, that rely on flashy effects and such?

[Berto]

So, he means like, he wanted the fighting to look realistic, and the punches and kickes to look weighted, that rely on flashy effects and such?

I think what he means by realistic is you won't get to do tons or 99 hits combo.



Three or five punches and kicks should've enough to make opponent falls,
Flashy sounds or effects are just to let us know that our punch/kick are in (not missing/avoided).

[Mystic Monkey]

I think what he means by realistic is you won't get to do tons or 99 hits combo.



Three or five punches and kicks should've enough to make opponent falls,
Flashy sounds or effects are just to let us know that our punch/kick are in (not missing/avoided).

I think I see. Virtua Fighter has always had a sort of weighted gameplay style that required some getting used to. Still, I wonder if the new Virtua Fighter game will have a story mode? And not just what's written manuals or character sheets.

[Berto]

I think I see. Virtua Fighter has always had a sort of weighted gameplay style that required some getting used to. Still, I wonder if the new Virtua Fighter game will have a story mode? And not just what's written manuals or character sheets.

Yes, there will be. Yamada-san said in the interview : "Another point is the lack of story and relatively surface-level character portrayal. The characters do have backstories, but since none of that is portrayed in-game, I feel that’s something we need to address."

[Mystic Monkey]

Yes, there will be. Yamada-san said in the interview : "Another point is the lack of story and relatively surface-level character portrayal. The characters do have backstories, but since none of that is portrayed in-game, I feel that’s something we need to address."

Most definitely! Virtua Fighter pretty much founded the 3D-fighting genre, but it is often overlooked from such franchises as Tekken, Dead or Alive and SoulCalibur who copied from Virtua Fighter and established its own thing. But what these fighting games have in common that Virtua Fighter is lacking is stories. Stories that flesh out the world you're fighting in and why the fighters are motivated for fighting, etc.

For example, I'm not that much of a Street Fighter fan. But I know more of Ryu's backstory than I do of Akira Yuki.
It's the same with Kazuya Mishima from Tekken (who I admit, I had to wiki, I forgot his name), I don't know much about him, but I know of the Mishima family subplot of the series, the various cutscenes in the games and there's also movie adaptions. The abuse he took from his father, the abuse he gave to his son (a tradition involving cliffs), the literal demons they turn into etc.

Ryu, Kazuya and Akira are poster boys for their game franchises, and all I know of Akira Yuki is that he is a wondering fighter, his fighting style is Bājíquán, trained by his grandfather and that's all I know about him. I think his love interest is Pai Chan, but I don't think they are romantically involved, and while I'm sure he's friends with other fighters, I think Jacky and Sarah Bryant are his pals.
All I have to go with is the stories written in the manuals, the anime (which I believe exaggerate the characters personalities) and that time Akira and Jacky were in Sega All-Stars Racing.

[Berto]

Most definitely! Virtua Fighter pretty much founded the 3D-fighting genre, but it is often overlooked from such franchises as Tekken, Dead or Alive and SoulCalibur who copied from Virtua Fighter and established its own thing. But what these fighting games have in common that Virtua Fighter is lacking is stories. Stories that flesh out the world you're fighting in and why the fighters are motivated for fighting, etc.

For example, I'm not that much of a Street Fighter fan. But I know more of Ryu's backstory than I do of Akira Yuki.
It's the same with Kazuya Mishima from Tekken (who I admit, I had to wiki, I forgot his name), I don't know much about him, but I know of the Mishima family subplot of the series, the various cutscenes in the games and there's also movie adaptions. The abuse he took from his father, the abuse he gave to his son (a tradition involving cliffs), the literal demons they turn into etc.

Ryu, Kazuya and Akira are poster boys for their game franchises, and all I know of Akira Yuki is that he is a wondering fighter, his fighting style is Bājíquán, trained by his grandfather and that's all I know about him. I think his love interest is Pai Chan, but I don't think they are romantically involved, and while I'm sure he's friends with other fighters, I think Jacky and Sarah Bryant are his pals.
All I have to go with is the stories written in the manuals, the anime (which I believe exaggerate the characters personalities) and that time Akira and Jacky were in Sega All-Stars Racing.

Once again we had to remember that Virtua Fighter series were made for Arcade.
Console ports were just bonuses.
But of course now since arcades have shrunk as a market for fighting games, SEGA decided to focus their efforts for the new VF on the console market instead.
Now if there's arcade version of the new Virtua Fighter, that one is the bonus one.

[Berto]

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2's Zenitsu Agatsuma (Infinity Castle) Tournament

To commemorate the launch of Demon Slayer -Kimestsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2's Zenitsu Agatsuma (Infinity Castle) Character Pack, a special PlayStation Tournament has began.
Test your skills during the event for the chance to win exclusive prizes!

Details here: https://playstation.com/en-us/editorial/the-playstation-guide-to-esports/

[Mystic Monkey]

Once again we had to remember that Virtua Fighter series were made for Arcade.
Console ports were just bonuses.
But of course now since arcades have shrunk as a market for fighting games, SEGA decided to focus their efforts for the new VF on the console market instead.
Now if there's arcade version of the new Virtua Fighter, that one is the bonus one.

Most other fighting games kept up with the arcade-scene and had stories along with them.

It's almost if Sega wouldn't had bothered with New VF Project if there was much of an arcade scene these days.

[Berto]

Most other fighting games kept up with the arcade-scene and had stories along with them.

It's almost if Sega wouldn't had bothered with New VF Project if there was much of an arcade scene these days.

At first Tekken, Street Fighter EX, Soul Blade, and most 3D fighting games for arcade at that time also didn't have a story.
They add story to the Playstation version because there's a rule from Sony that all games for PS1 must have an ending scene in the end, to reward players who played it.
SEGA doesn't have that kind of rule for Saturn.