A 35-second “pre-development concept video” for the new Virtua Fighter game has got fans salivating. This reboot of the iconic retro game that invented 3D fighting game design is coming back in a big way.
Publisher Sega and Yakuza / Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, used a keynote by Nvidia to showcase the first game engine footage at CES 2025 – and it could be the best animation I’ve seen in a video game to date.
While not officially gameplay, the concept demo aims to show how Virtua Fighter will look in action, and if Sega can get even 10% close to how this game’s characters animate, it could be the most elegant release yet.
The smooth, natural animation looks like a martial arts movie and every punch, kick, block and counter has weight and balance. It’s an incredible 35 seconds that only gets better the more you watch, with specs of dust and dirt flicked up with each securely planted foot.
Over on Twitter fans are calling Virtua Fighter 6 “crazy good” with @Okami13_ saying the, “The animation work is insane” and @NewsProspector writing, “That being said, if they can harness the majority of what is being shown here (re: fighters animation) into the final product, this is going to be something special”.
Over on video game forum ResetEra, jitteryzeitgeist commented: “Yes it’s in-engine (and hell yes, the game looks fantastic), but if that animation is legit what we’re getting in game, then that’s a generational leap even over SF6”.
You can see for yourself in the video above. It’s only 35 seconds, but in that short sequence Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is showing its animation chops.
Love the look of this? Read our guide to the best animation software, and catch up on the latest Nvidia tech as we take a look at Multi-Frame Generation in DLSS 4.
