There's still not a whole lot we know about the upcoming Virtua Fighter, headed up by Yakuza studio Ryu Ga Gotoku… and even after a 50-minute showing at Tokyo Game Show this week, that remains true.
But hey, we did get a look at a brand-new battle system that'll be in the game, which plans to stand alongside Virtua Fighter's traditional style as its own thing. Called Uprising, it seems like RGG Studio's attempt at delving into a more modern fighting game formula with "dynamic momentum-shifting opportunities," according to the presentation.
These opportunities come in the form of new mechanics Flowguard, Break and Rush, and the Stunner and Stun Combo systems. The first is a "new defensive system designed with stylish movements," which RGG Studio says "expands options and introduces fresh dynamics for offense and defense beyond traditional guarding."
Flowguard's defensive options are closely tied to Break and Rush, which seems to be the main selling point behind Uprising. It's essentially a part break system—repeatedly damaging the same body parts—like the head, body, and legs—will eventually open up huge vulnerabilities, allowing the attacker to gain access to "powerful offensive opportunities."
Damage to body parts even persists across rounds, marked by glowing red spots on the opponent. It should make for some really interesting strategic gameplay choices across matches, which is the thing I'm most interested in.
The last system, Stunner and Stun Combo, is said to be more approachable for new players with it introducing a new combo system which allows players to chain attacks from a stun. Traditional combos will still exist in Uprising, but their appearance will be less frequent.
Official English slides from the New VIRTUA FIGHTER Project livestream from Tokyo Game Show 2025 ー 2 Battle Rules (Standard/Uprising) | New Battle System Explanations: Flowguard, Break & Rush, Stunner & Combo from r/virtuafighter
The presentation wraps up with a 20-second teaser that honestly shows, well, a big loada nothing. We get some pretty shots of streetside restaurants and a mysterious figure walking along the alleyways. That's it, that's the whole teaser.
It's safe to say that the 50-minute presentation has slowed down the hype train a tad. "I don't get why [RGG] didn't do the TGA announcement and then disappear for one or two years, like a normal studio would do," a Reddit commenter lamented. "They clearly have nothing to show yet but keep doing these presentations with stuff everyone already knows."
Another commenter wrote, "This was like students showing their group project that they couldn't finish on time." As another bluntly put it: "How to kill hype and momentum 101."
I mean yeah, it was certainly light in the information department. It does feel a little odd to be going over battle systems before we even have a game name—RGG Studio is still working under the moniker New Virtua Fighter Project—and I agree that I'd rather see the game go into hiding and then come out swinging with tons of new information when it has a lot more meat on the bone.
Maybe the rather lacklustre feedback to this presentation will be the convincing the studio needs to lock in away from our judgemental gazes.
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