The Japanese Virtua Fighter x esports project stream revealed Virtua Fighter esports as the newest series title. This means Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown will be available for not only the PlayStation 4, but also in arcades in Japan. Virtua Fighter esports is the Japanese title for Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, which has been revealed earlier in the West on May 25, 2021.
Just like the rest of the world, the newest Virtua Fighter game will be available as a PlayStation 4 console-exclusive title in Japan on June 1, 2021. It will also be available through the PlayStation Plus June 2021 lineup, as well as the PlayStation Now streaming service.
As the only major information not announced in the West, Virtua Fighter esports will also make its way to Japanese arcades on June 2, 2021. It will effectively replace Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, which received its last arcade update in 2011. Those who have recorded play data of Final Showdown will be able to carry over some of the data to the new game.
The Japanese stream featured a gameplay demonstration by Itabashi Zangief, the professional gamer known for using Shun Di to win numerous Virtua Fighter 5 tournaments, including EVO 2007 and Sega Cup Europe. In the same stream, Sega also announced it will hold more Virtua Fighter tournaments after releasing the new game.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, also known in Japan as Virtua Fighter esports, will be available for the PlayStation 4 on June 1, 2021 and in Japanese arcades on June 2, 2021.
