Sega may have teased a Virtua Fighter return for 60th-anniversary celebration

Companies tend to get pretty nostalgic around big anniversaries, and Sega may not be an exception.

Sega might have teased a return to Virtua Fighter as part of the company’s 60th-anniversary celebration in an image shared on Sega’s social media accounts. While there is no direct confirmation the image is regarding the historic fighting game franchise, it would be odd if the shadowed figure dressed in fighting garb and the odd focus on the number six didn’t translate to something. 

Sega won’t be turning 60 until June 3, but the build-up to the celebration is already happening with this image is at the center. VirtuaFighter.com, a hub for all things involved with the franchise, has provided a bit more information with some context based on the vague photo. 

The text within the image roughly translates to, “six days until birth,” pointing to the announcement coming on March 25. But the number six stands out more than any of the other text, leading many to believe the announcement will be the long-awaited Virtua Fighter 6. 

The last true entry in the series outside of collections or mobile titles was Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, which released in 2010 to arcades, and was ported to Xbox 360 in 2012. There has been more than a decade drought for fans of the franchise, and it is looking likely that it will end soon. 

And not only do all signs point to a new entry in the series, but even the link on Sega’s website provides a nice hint in the form of a throwback. 

If you try to access the 60th-anniversary site, you will be met with a message asking all Sega fans to wait just a little longer until the site is ready to be launched. 

“Ah! You came to this page,” the website says. “You like Sega very much!? Wait a little longer until the site is released.”

But, if you add “/segashiro” to the search bar, you will be taken to the location of the image within the unfinished website. 

Sega Shiro is a reference to a famous advertising campaign done by Sega Japan in the 90s to advertise the Sega Saturn console. Segata Sanshiro is a fictional character in those commercials that was a direct parody of a martial artist that would play games on Sega’s system. 

This could also mean a mini-version of the Saturn or a collection of the greatest Saturn games will be announced on March 25, but either way, Sega fans should be ready for a fun bit of news.