Everything you need to know about the newest revision of Virtua Fighter 5 is here. Discover important gameplay features, the roster, esports potential, and more.
It feels like SEGA is never out of the fighting game scene. The Japanese developers are eager to cement their reputation with Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. The great 3D fighting classics are coming to PC with a bunch of improvements. Should the main competitor within this sub-genre, TEKKEN, get worried?
When is the Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. release date?
The 3D fighting game Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is out on Jan. 27 (Jan. 28 in Japan). You can play it on PC via Steam.
Game editions
There are two editions of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. on Steam.
- Standard Edition is the full game, including all characters.
- 30th Anniversary Edition comes with swimsuit costumes for the entire roster, the DLC Packs Legendary and Yakuza series, pre-production secret materials, music selection, and wallpaper set.
Gameplay of the newest Virtua Fighter 5
It’s a classic 3D fighting game: the traditional 1v1 matches with free movement in the 3D environment. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. sure can be compared to other titles in the 3D sub-genre: TEKKEN, Soulcalibur, and Dead or Alive.
If you are a newcomer to the fighting games community (FGC), you may confuse 3D fighting with arcade games, such as Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO. The difference is based on a few key aspects, such as a well-balanced roster, character movesets specifics, and even the side view instead of the third-person perspective.
In fact, comparison to the TEKKEN series is pretty fair. Sure, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is unique in many ways.
- The controls in VF5 have three action buttons: Punch, Kick, and Guard. Various combinations activate different moves.
- Blocks are possible by holding Guard, which is more similar to Soulcalibur.
- Actions in Virtua Fighter 5 can be divided into Guards, Strikes (attacks), and Throws. This builds a rock-paper-scissors triangle. Guards beat Strikes but do not work against Throws. Strikes can stop Throws and are pointless against Guards. Throws work over Guards but are weak against Strikes.
- VF5 doesn’t have quick side steps from TEKKEN. It is free movement, which is rather slow to actually dodge attacks. The 3D environment is used in the characters’ attacks.
Virtua Fighter 5 is generally considered a beginner-friendly game. This doesn’t mean it’s simple and limited — you just feel the vibes and gain first good results early. The depth of fighting mechanics opens itself next.
The video below nicely explains the details of how to play Virtua Fighter 5. It’s about a previous iteration of the title, but the author explains the basics perfectly, and they are totally relevant in the newer version.
What is VF5 R.E.V.O.?
The whole idea of having a few iterations of the same game may be confusing. Here we explain the place of the R.E.V.O. game in the series of Virtua Fighter 5 versions.
- Virtua Fighter 5 — The original game was released in 2006 on arcades and in 2007 on PlayStation 3.
- Virtua Fighter 5 Online — It’s a version for Xbox 360 from 2007. It had online matchmaking (unlike PS3).
- Virtua Fighter 5 R — The revision for arcades from 2008 had fresh content, like new stages and a non-playable boss Jean Kujo, move animations, and outfits.
- Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown — SEGA released this version in 2011 for arcades and in 2012 for consoles. The main focus of this update is online matchmaking that works properly on all platforms.
- Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown — With this enhanced remastered version, VF5 moved to the modern consoles. It was released in 2021 for PlayStation 4, and it’s available on PlayStation 5.
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. — It’s an updated port of VF5 Ultimate Showdown for PC. It comes with substantial improvements.
PlayStation 5 users do not receive VF5 R.E.V.O., but the Ultimate Showdown gets updated to its 2.0 version, which is basically the same.
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Improvements of VF5 R.E.V.O.
According to the official trailer. R.E.V.O. stands for a variety of aspects.
- R: Reality, Rivals, Rollback
- E: Extreme, Emotion, Evolution
- V: Versus, Velocity, Victory
- O: Oneworld
Adding the rollback netcode technology is the best feature of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. — from the competitive point of view. The developers are eager to support the vast esports competition, and smooth online connection is essential for this.
Also, this version of VF5 takes a quality jump in the visual department. Virtua Fighter matches evolved into the 60 FPS / 4K video. The evolution of this title also means having a fresh balance update for the entire roster. The developers are pretty proud of their product: a result of 13-year balance adjustments.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. has a variety of game modes for the players to celebrate their victories: from online Ranked to VS offline.
The Oneworld part means the addition of esports tournaments via a special in-game tool. Up to 16 players can participate in them.
The full roster of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.
This enhanced remaster of Virtua Fighter 5 comes with 19 playable characters. You’ll find the full list in the table below.
Akira Yuki Jacky Bryant Goh Hinogami | Pai Chan Shun Di Eileen | Lau Chan Lion Rafale El Blaze | Jeffry McWild Aoi Umenokoji Taka-Arashi | Wolf Hawkfield Lei-Fei Jean Kujo | Kage Maru Vanessa Lewis | Sarah Bryant Brad Burns |
There also is Dural in VF5, but it's an unplayable dummy for players to practice on.
A video showcase of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is available in this trailer.
Five beginner-friendly characters
To have a nice start in Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O., you may want to go for these characters.
- Lau Chan: He is a rushdown fighter with many moves that form combos and a variety of effective opening hits.
- Jeffry McWild is super strong, and his attacks deal a lot of damage. Find an opening and destroy your opponents.
- Jacky Bryant has a nice variety of moves to help beginners in VF5 find their style.
- Brad Burns is a character for active pressure, with the focus on high and mid hits. His moves are easily linked to special techniques.
- Taka-Arashi is heavy and slow, but his hits and throws are super effective. The sumo fighter is a real powerhouse.
To get to know these and other characters in Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O., check out the community-driven project virtuafighter.com. You’ll find even frame data and combo examples there.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. esports
Even before the full PC release, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. gets its presence at a big fighting games esports event. The title is part of Frosty Faustings XVII, which happens from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26. The community got pretty hyped about this competition, so the organizers had to increase the participants cap and the prize pool.
Virtua Fighter Open Championship is the official VF5 esports series. It begins in Spring 2025, featuring tournaments in different regions. The most successful competitors will be gathered for the global Finals event.
We expect Virtual Fighter 5 to be present at many big events. According to some leaks, the VF5 R.E.V.O. is even part of the Evo 2025 lineup. For all fighting games news and updates, stick around on esports.gg.
