Sega Game Awards Tease May Be for Dormant Fighting Game Franchise

One Sega fan points out a detail related to a historic fighting game franchise that could give away what Sega is announcing at The Game Awards.

Highlights

  • Sega’s vague teaser has led fans to speculate that a new Virtua Fighter game may be announced.
  • The font used in the teaser is similar to the one used in the Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown trailer, providing a potential clue.
  • While fans hope for a new Virtua Fighter game, Sega could surprise everyone with something completely different at The Game Awards.


A recent teaser sent out by Sega has sparked speculation that it may be for a new Virtua Fighter game. Sega’s teaser was as vague as could be, resulting in fans taking their best guesses about what the Japanese gaming giant is gearing up to announce. There are no conclusive answers about what Sega has planned just yet, but an eagle-eyed fan has pointed out a detail that could serve as a valuable clue.

The teaser arrived in the form of letters sent out to content creators by Sega, which included the simple phrase, “New Era, New Energy,” as well as an encouragement for these creators and their fans to watch The Game Awards event on December 7, 2023. The Game Awards has become known as a hotbed for new video game announcements, but there are those who believe that Sega might not be announcing a new game after all.

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A Twitter/X user by the name of Brodoof pointed out that the font used for the cryptic teaser is almost exactly the same as the one used in the Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown trailer. Ultimate Showdown arrived on the PS4 in 2021 as the final update to 2007’s Virtua Fighter 5, initially released in arcades and then as a PS3 launch title in Europe.

Virtua Fighter is a highly respected fighting game franchise. The original 1993 arcade version dazzled audiences with its then-novel 3D graphics before it was ported to the Sega Saturn. The novelty of 3D graphics may have worn off, but Virtua Fighter has not been forgotten as a pioneer in the use of polygonal characters. Brodoof’s connection between the teaser and the old Sega marketing material does make a potential Virtua Fighter 6 announcement seem plausible, but the only way to find out what it’s really about is to watch The Game Awards as instructed.

Some fans think a new Virtua Fighter game is long overdue. It would face stiff competition in a market presently dominated the likes of Street Fighter 6 and the imminent Tekken 8, which is releasing on January 26, 2024. As for when Virtua Fighter 6 might release, that is anyone’s guess. For what it’s worth, the gaming community doesn’t have long to wait before the truth is brought to light. A new Virtua Fighter game would be nice, but Sega could have something entirely different up its proverbial sleeve.