SEGA Global Transmedia Group executive vice president Justin Scarpone confirms that a new Virtua Fighter game is currently in development, according to a new VGC interview. Rumors about the new Virtua Fighter game have persisted over the course of the year, with some noting it will be a reboot.
“So we have a suite of titles in development right now that fall into that legacy bucket, which we announced last year at The Game Awards; Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and we have another Virtua Fighter being developed,” Scarpone told VGC. “And so all that’s very exciting. And then in certain instances, we’re also doing animation series, or live-action films to augment that and be part of those roadmaps.”
SEGA formed the Global Transmedia Group on April 1, 2024 to advance its transmedia strategy across its wide portfolio of titles, including Persona, Like a Dragon, Angry Birds, and more in the future.
Previously, rumors suggested that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio was involved in the development of the next Virtua Fighter title, which emphasizes online and eSports play. The studio previously worked on Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown., and they’re currently wrapping up development of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. SEGA did not confirm or deny that rumor, however.
The Virtua Fighter game is in development at SEGA as part of SEGA’s Super Game initiative, which involves remakes of classic IPs and reboots with a live-service model. Alongside Virtua Fighter, this initiative includes Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio reboots and remakes.
