There's One Big Name Still Missing From Fighting Games Releasing In 2025

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soulcalibur 6

Soul Calibur Mitsurugi and Fatal Fury Terry

2025 is set to be a big year for fighting game releases, and yet the Soul Calibur franchise is mysteriously not among them. Despite the fact that numerous other big names like Fatal Fury and a second Capcom Fighting Collection are set to release next year, Soul Calibur hasn't seen a new entry since back in 2018. Considering how many years the franchise has been around, it feels like a major fighting game staple is slowly being forgotten.

The Soul Calibur franchise goes all the way back to the year 1995 with its very first game, Soul Blade (originally Soul Edge in Japan), and has been a staple in the fighting game scene ever since. Soul Calibur 6 is primarily noteworthy, as it served as a satisfying reboot for the franchise after the mess that was Soul Calibur 5. This, in turn, allows for the franchise to not only reuse the fantastic, familiar roster it has maintained for years, but also explore the stories of its characters in new, never-before-seen ways.

What Makes Soul Calibur Unique From Other Fighting Games

A Franchise Featuring Unique Combat Mechanics

While most other fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken almost exclusively have their fighters utilize hand-to-hand combat, the Soul Calibur franchise managed to switch things up through weapon-based combat. These weapons range anywhere from simple swords and shields to giant greatswords and even floating magical orbs. This ultimately makes Soul Calibur's roster one that is filled with immense variety that can suit numerous different playstyles.

Soul Calibur 6: Reversal Edge System (What it is & How it Works)

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Soul Calibur is also noteworthy as it is the fighting game franchise that revolutionized the 8-way run format. When most fighting games remained confined to simple horizontal movement and jumping, Soul Calibur allowed characters to move around in eight different directions in the 3D arena. This provides more freedom of movement, and the chance to utilize more unique combos and defensive strategies.

Soul Calibur Has Clear Potential For Another Entry In The Franchise

Soul Calibur 6 Set Up Many Future Stories

Cassandra meets her counterpart from SC5's timeline in Soul Calibur 6.

Soul Calibur 6 detailed the numerous stories of the various characters in its roster, with many of them ending in ways that clearly set up the potential for continuation later on. With numerous characters being set up to go after the cursed sword Soul Edge for various reasons, there is clearly enough setup for a future franchise installment. Combined with the fact that the DLC revealed that Cassandra has become aware of the events from the original timeline (awful Soul Calibur characters and all), there is so much for a future sequel to expand upon.

Even with the numerous iconic fighting games that are returning after many years, it still feels like this one famed franchise is missing. Thanks to its massive cast of characters and intriguing story, there is certainly the potential for a sequel at some point in the future. Only time will tell when a brand-new entry in the Soul Calibur franchise will finally arrive, but when it does, it is certain to make a triumphant return to the stage of history.

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