While one Bandai Namco series of fighters in Tekken has been enjoying landmark success, the company’s other major IP is all but forgotten.
While many fans of the genre have been vocal about how there seems to be a current fighting game revival renaissance taking place, the state of what sorts of titles are achieving success and recognition has changed greatly when compared to decades past. Tekken stands as the sole 3D fighter offering of the most popular titles, while several 2D experiences with modern visuals have managed to begin dominating once again. Some players of one of the most prolific fighting franchises to ever make its mark, Soulcalibur, may be shocked to see just how far Bandai Namco’s weapon-based fighting game series has fallen.
There’s been an air of uncertainty around Soulcalibur ever since its sixth numbered entry was released in 2018, as it seems that it didn’t reach sales goals which could have helped greenlight more titles. Fans have speculated about the shift of focus to Tekken’s ongoing success, but the series’ director, Katsuhiro Harada, directly addressed this dynamic in a lengthy post on X/Twitter. In a rare case of deep behind-the-scenes insight, the context provided by Harada unfortunately indicates that the next Soulcalibur doesn’t seem to be on any developer’s radar in the near future.
