At EVO Japan 2020, where 510 players competed in theSoulcalibur 6tournament of the weekend-long event, the next DLC character in the game’s season two pass,Samurai Shodown’s Haohmaru, was showcased in a new gameplay trailer. Previously announced as being part of the season two pass, Haohmaru had not been seen in action yet, so this trailer offers players a first look at the katana-wieldingrōnin.
Haohmaru has appeared in everySamurai Shodowntitle to date and joins fellow crossover fighters 2B (fromNieR: Automata) and Geralt (ofWitcherfame) as guests in theSoulcalibur 6universe. The legendary swordsman, based on real-life samurai Miyamoto Musashi, slots into the roster right afterHilde, the first DLC character of season two, who was made available on November 26th.
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The trailer opens on Haohmaru’s stage fromSamurai Shodown, the island of Gairyu. This stage has been Haohmaru’s home turf since the 1993 originalSamurai Shodownfor the NEO-GEO. With Mt. Fuji in the background and waves crashing on the rocky shoreline, Mitsurugi appears, ready to pick a fight with the new kid on the block. Mitsurugi says “I’ve been waiting for you to come… Haohmaru!” and the battle begins.
Haohmaru appears as though he’ll have a play style similar to hisSamurai Shodown(2019) form.Soulcalibur 6producer Motohiro Okubo alluded to this detail about the character in the trailer’s introduction at the EVO event. He says that players waiting to experience Haohmaru inSoucalibur 6can get practice with the character inSamurai Shodown(2019).
Fans get a look at some of those signature moves in the trailer, as well as a few quick combos, a parry, and a heavy slash that includes an ink brush-styled trail. The trailer finishes with an explosive special move, a nod of respect from both fighters, and then they resume the fight.
Crossovers are more common than ever in the video game world, and the inclusion of an iconic fighter like Haohmaru is a solid move for Bandai Namco. At the tail end of the trailer the developers remind fans of what is still to come in the season two pass, and it remains to be seen who the final two characters will be for the season. Previous slots in the DLC lineuphave gone to returning characters, so it is likely that the game will add some fan favorites to the arena. TheSoulcalibur 6communityhas produced some memorable momentsin the fighting game world, and by adding more, exciting characters to the mix, will surely be an EVO staple for the foreseeable future.
Soulcalibur 6is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One
