Riichiro Yamada 山田理一郎

With the release of the new trailer, I have something I would like to share with you. Last week, we lost our Assistant Producer, Parisi Giuseppe, after his battle with cancer. He was one of my closest collaborators and a dear friend. The idea of “reality” as a key theme for VFCR was born from brainstorming sessions we had together in the early days of the project, before he had officially joined the team. Around that time, I learned that he was living with illness. Even so, I wanted to make this project with him. He shared that feeling, and joined the team. He told me that, while working, he wanted to be able to forget about his illness. True to his word, he dedicated himself to the project with unwavering determination and passion until the very end. He was a huge fan of Virtua Fighter and SEGA—and a devoted Pai player. He held deep respect for Japanese studios and their work, while bringing a perspective from abroad that no one else could have brought to the team. He was truly irreplaceable. We discussed and chose the names of the new characters together. Lionel, too, is a character we shaped together. His loss is immeasurable. The passion he brought to VFCR, and everything he left with us, will continue to live on in this project. It may take us a little time before we are able to share our next update. We would be grateful for your patience and for continuing to watch over the project.

新しいトレーラーの公開にあわせて、皆さんにお伝えしたいことがあります。 僕の右腕であり、大切な仲間だったアシスタントプロデューサー、パリシ・ジュゼッペが、先週、がんとの闘病の末に亡くなりました。 VFCRにおける「リアリティ」というキーワードは、まだ彼が正式なプロジェクトメンバーになる前、プロジェクトが動き始めた頃に二人でブレインストーミングを重ねて決めたものです。 その頃、彼が病気と向き合っていることを聞きました。 それでも、僕は彼と一緒にこのプロジェクトを作りたかった。彼もその思いに応えて、チームに加わってくれました。 彼は仕事をしている間は病気のことを忘れていたいと話し、最後まで強い意志と情熱を持ってプロジェクトに取り組んでくれていました。 彼は『バーチャファイター』とセガの大ファンで、パイを愛用するプレイヤーでもありました。 日本のスタジオとその作品に深い敬意を持ちながら、海外からの視点もチームにもたらしてくれた、誰にも代えられない存在でした。 新しいキャラクターたちの名前も、彼と相談を重ねながら決めていったものです。Lionelもまた、彼とともに形にしていったキャラクターです。 彼を失ったことは、僕たちにとって計り知れない喪失です。 彼がVFCRに注いでくれた情熱と、残してくれたものを大切に受け継ぎ、これからもプロジェクトを進めていきます。 次の情報をお届けするまで、少しお時間をいただくかもしれません。 その間も、どうか温かく見守っていただけますと幸いです。

Who’s that guy? #VFCR

🤔

By popular request, we’ve released the full version of the track! Once again, big thanks to everyone involved — especially @Elgrannael. And by the way, I’d like to once again highlight the amazing wall art scene. Huge thanks to: Mio – instagram.com/miocreates.art Soiful (@SOIFUL_story) KASSEN (@KASSEN_VFX) Really appreciate all your creativity and support! #VFCR

By the way, I’ve noticed some articles saying the story is set 10 years later. In the interview, I mentioned that more than 10 years have passed — it’s probably just a nuance in translation. So please think of it as somewhere between 10 and 20 years. I’d like to keep the exact number intentionally vague. #VFCR

I’m not directly involved with the original naming, so I can’t give a definitive answer. That said, based on what’s generally known in the community, “Virtua” most likely comes from “Virtual.” It first appeared with Virtua Racing, and then became part of AM2’s branding when Virtua Fighter followed. I’m not sure if there’s any official source connecting it to “Virtuoso,” but it’s an interesting interpretation.

🫢

Flow Guard is still in! Some visuals may look different between builds, but the system hasn’t been removed.

Yes, Japanese voice-over is planned. As for the full list of VO languages, that’ll be announced through official channels, so please stay tuned! #VFCR

Thanks for the feedback! We’re aware of the concerns around the Chinese name and are looking into it — thanks for your patience. As for the English title, we know many people refer to Virtua Fighter as “Virtual Fighter,” which sparked some discussion. In the end, we chose to stick with the traditional title. #VFCR

Just landed from a flight, so it’s time for me to get some sleep. Your kind words really lift the team’s spirits. Thank you! They’re already getting ready for the next reveal — stay tuned! #VFCR

🫢

She is Stella.

🫢

I think it’s a little too early for me to answer that question 😅 Let’s just say… stay tuned.

Sorry, but I can’t really comment on Shenmue. That said, when it comes to VF’s lore, I think this game needs to give some answers. For example — as I’ve said before — it might finally be time to settle Jeffrey’s Saturn Shark story.

Making fighting game characters appear naturally in this world has been a real challenge. As I mentioned in an interview, one of my inspirations was the HBO drama series Watchmen. It’s an incredible show — but not many people in Japan are familiar with it, so explaining the nuance to the team was quite difficult😅.