'Soul Calibur VI' news: Fighting game coming to PC in 2018

Screengrab from the official announcement trailer for "Soul Calibur VI"YouTube/Bandai Namco Entertainment America

PC gamers will have another fighting game to look forward to in the coming year, as "Soul Calibur VI" has been announced to have a PC port come 2018.

This marks the first time a "Soul Calibur" game will be released for the PC since its predecessor, "Soul Calibur V," was only available for the home consoles. The announcement that the game will be released for the PlayStation (PS) 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows took place during the 2017 Game Awards, which began on Dec. 7.

An announcement trailer has also been released by publisher Bandai Namco, and it features two of the most iconic characters of the fighting game. It opens up with the Athenian Sophitia and the samurai Mitsurugi tussling with each other in a 3D-rendered and high-definition arena. Whoever won the fight was not revealed, but the trailer gave the two a chance to show off their most powerful moves.

Fans of the franchise will notice something different though, as the weapons which both Sophitia and Mitsurugi wielded constantly changed colors during the fight. This could mean that a new combat mechanic or system has been implemented in "Soul Calibur VI" and will be a dynamic addition to the weapon-based combat system of the franchise.

Bandai Namco will also not be leaving the upcoming game's single players unattended, as they have promised an "epic" story mode which can also serve as an introduction to the title for new players. One notable gameplay change is the mechanic called "Reversal Edge," which, according to Bandai Namco, will allow players to "defend against the opponent's attack and directly counter with a powerful strike highlighted through a dynamic camera." This new change will work more like a parry and riposte maneuver where even the most powerful moves can get reversed.

Like its competitor fighting game "Tekken 7," "Soul Calibur VI" was also developed using the Unreal Engine, which means it shares the same graphical capability as that game, particularly with the dynamic camera angles. No exact release has been announced yet, but rest assured, the game will be available on the three aforementioned gaming platforms.