How Virtua Fighter brings innovation and realism to the 3D combat genre | EVO 2025

While not ready for a game demo at EVO, this new Virtua Fighter Project remains one of the most exciting games on the show thanks to a brand new trailer released on Finals Day, which has left our cooking of Sega and RGG in this series of revivals to best see the game for over two decades.

On the show, I had the opportunity to sit down with Riichiro Yamada, the producer of the new Virtua Fighter Project, to dig out some of his previous statements about the game, asking him how he plans to modernize the series to compete with other, more current 3D Fighters.

((Editor's note: This interview has been gently edited to grammar and clarity)

The concept gameplay we saw in the new Virtua Fighter project is very smooth, with guards and arms moving to stop everyone from attacking. How close do you want the last game to look?

Richro Yamada, producer of the new Virtua Fighter project: In appearance, yes, (the combat system is) 70%, an announcement will be made on EVO tomorrow (Editor's note: this interview was recorded the day before the trailer was released). So, I really feel like I will be able to show the current situation. From a visual point of view, I do have a very strong vision and really feel like we are very close to that vision.

Therefore, the fighting game is in a very different position than when Virtua Fighter V was released. What are some ways you can make sure the new Virtua Fighter project will modernize the series?

Yamada: Virtua Fighter was originally a very simple game. It only has three buttons and everyone can basically touch and play it, but as the series progresses, it becomes very complex. In that regard, in terms of progress, I think Virtua Fighter 5 is the full version. As far as the new Virtua fighter is concerned, we need to continue to improve, not only in gameplay, but also play a role.

I really feel like I need to think about how to improve this game, how to improve the game in terms of functionality, gameplay, and how to make it more modern? Otherwise, I really don't think it will sell. So these are where I really researched. Not only the gameplay, but also the functions. We need to modernize these parts.

In previous videos, you said that when asked what Virtua Fighter is two words that come to mind when innovating and real. Can you explain more about what this means and how these words lead you to guide you through the production of this new game?

Yamada: So, in terms of innovation, I really can't elaborate on it, but it's graphics from the beginning, and then computer graphics like CG keep improving. But with CG, it's really there now. It is indeed difficult to improve current CG.

CG is already innovative, it is indeed there. So, in terms of innovation, I really think it's very important to put forward more ideas on this term. Then, as for reality, I think reality is a very difficult word, but Virtua Fighter, it's not a very UFC-like battle. It's more like a battle of kung fu movies. More of this type.

When I started playing Virtua Fighter, I felt like the reality of being hit, and when you were hit by an opponent, you felt your arms or legs, physically injured. That way, I really felt it. So with new projects, not only fighting, but reality, I really want to feel this reality in the players, not only fighting, but other places, and I think it's important.

So, with this new Virtua fighter project, do you see it as a new beginning in the franchise? Not only for franchise, but also for roles? Just like Akira obviously looks different from what we used to be. He is not in the traditional gi, his hair is not worn, he wears a hat. Are these the same characters as those in previous games? Or is this new restart of Virtua Fighter?

Yamada: So, in terms of characters, I really feel like a new character is necessary, and as you said, Akira looks different. So, in this, Akira is a little bigger than the previous series. So, for that matter, I feel like a new generation of characters is needed, and (I'm not) saying that the character design in the last VF was not very good. That's not true.

I don't want to say that the previous VF characters are a bit weak. I'm not saying that. I think they are stylish, but we do need to develop these characters, we need to make the character design look better in order to make it look cool.

Not that they were terrible before, but I just had to make them cooler. That's why when I think of a new character, I say reality is one of the statements I really focus on. Again, when I create a new character design, I have to bring this reality into it and make it a more beautiful character. So yes, using the same character, but to evolve from the past, putting more elements on it, pasting more design characters on it, making it more authentic is my position.

Speaking of characters, in the previous Virtua Fighter Direct, you revealed Stella, a character similar to Sarah Bryant. Do you have any information about this role? On the screen, the text says she is the bridge between the world. Can you elaborate on what this means?

Yamada: Unfortunately, I'm sorry, I won't be able to answer your question. But please be excited. Please look forward to this.

You talked about this earlier, and Virtua Fighter is traditionally a three-button game – punches, kicks and guards – but it draws a lot of depth from this very simple control scheme. Do you feel that Virtua Fighter’s three-key control style is at the heart of the series, or do you see the opportunity to grow the franchise’s territory by adding another button or just changing the way typical Virtua Fighter core gameplay?

Yamada: So, initially, when Yu Suzuki created Virtua Fighter, he did a lot of tests. In fact, he tested it with more than three buttons, such as many buttons. But they came to the conclusion of three buttons. At the time, it was more of a focused game center (arcade), so that was the best at the time.

The concept is that they want to create a game that is not too complicated and anyone can enjoy. So, from this concept, I think yes, I need to respect this concept. I want to create a game that anyone can play.

But for the moment, or moving forward, it's not only a game center game, but more like a home game. So when you think about how people play this game in their living room or in their house, that's when that's when that's changed. Yes, the concept does stay the same, but…I'm not really focused on, oh, we need to keep it to three buttons. More importantly, I want to create a game that anyone can play at home in a new style.

Virtua Fighter has been in the vicinity for all the years, Akira has been the face of the franchise, and he is also the character of the new Virtua Fighter Project you reveal with it, but we don't see his face as much. Do you think Akira is still the kind of face in this series, or is it a new generation? Will there be a newcomer who will become the mantle of the face of the franchise?

Yamada: So when it comes to the protagonist, I really feel like users will still buy the game because of the protagonist. For example, for Street Fighter, it's Luke, and it may still be Luke's reason. For ryu-ga-gotoku (Yakuza series), it used to be Kiryu, but is changing. They did bring a new protagonist, Kasuga. Initially, RGG fans liked Kiryu.

So, I think there are challenges in bringing the new protagonist, a new character, Kasuga into the series. Ideally, I wanted to bring out more characters, but it felt like the user really liked Akira. History has proved or proved that there is a lot of love for Chula.

Yes, I want to bring out a new character, but I really feel the protagonist, because Akira has always been a strong face, so users will still look forward to or see or want to buy the game because it is Akira. So, I don't think it's easy to change a character or bring a new character.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @jurassicrabbit