During The Game Awards, Bandai Namco surprised audiences with a special announcement. The long-stagnant SoulCalibur franchise is receiving a new release, SoulCalibur VI.

The SoulCalibur VI trailer highlights some of the fighters that will presumably be available in the finished game. Sophitia, Mitsurugi, and what appears to be Siegfried are all briefly seen in the title, which is an interesting return, since Sophitia was absent and deceased in the last main series entry, SoulCalibur V, which released back in 2012. However, the game has been officially revealed as a sequel, not a reboot or remake, so it's unclear how she will appear in the title.

SoulCalibur V's playable roster changed dramatically from what it had been in SoulCalibur IV. Many fighters that were present in the series for multiple releases were replaced by new characters; for example, Sophitia's children took her place in the roster for SoulCalibur V. For now, it's unknown if any of the new fighters will make an appearance, and if any series favorites who were replaced will also make a comeback.

With any luck, the long delay between SoulCalibur V and VI means that the game will have the level of polish that gamers are looking for. While the fighting system in SoulCalibur V received praise, the story mode left many players disappointed. Soul fans have been granted two off-shoot games since SoulCalibur V's release, namely SoulCalibur: Lost Swords and SoulCalibur: Unbreakable Soul. However, the former was a single-player free to play experience, and Unbreakable Soul was a digital trading card game. Both received mixed responses from fans, and both have been taken offline and are no longer playable.

It should also be interesting to see if any guest fighters appear in SoulCalibur VI. Previous games have offered a wide array of fighters from other titles ranging from Link from The Legend of Zelda to Heihachi of Bandai Namco's Tekken, and even Yoda and Darth Vader. Given that the game is releasing for multiple gaming systems, it's possible that Bandai Namco will split up the guest fighters across systems as it has in the past. More information regarding the game's roster and battle mechanics will surely follow in 2018 as the game's release approaches.

SoulCalibur VI will release in 2018 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.