The Soul Calibur Online Challenge returns for 2021 with five regions this year and a revamped online dojo system. Commentators Kitana Prime and James Chen made the announcement during the Evo 2021 Online
Soul Calibur side tournament. Online dojo events span July 20 to December 27 and involve community organizers running tournaments as official Online Challenge events.
Soul Calibur VI saw positive reception from the community. Source: Bandai Namco
Soul Calibur VI was released in October 2018, one year after Tekken 7’s console launch. The fighting game community quickly embraced SCVI, with events like East Coast Throwdown and Final Round hosting exciting tournaments early in the game’s lifespan. SCVI was even featured at Evo 2019 as a main lineup game. However, Soul Calibur only received an official world tour in 2020, which was quickly postponed due to the pandemic. This occurred after the tournament series already began at its first stop, Evo Japan 2020.
As Bandai Namco shifted to the all-online environment, Soul Calibur and Tekken both received “Online Challenge” events to keep the hype alive. However, Tekken 7 was the only title to receive a netcode update to help the environment.
The Online Challenge begins July 20. Source: Bandai Namco
This year’s Soul Calibur Online Challenge features more regions, split between North America West, North America East, Europe West, Southeast Asia and Japan. Compared to just NA East, EU West and Japan from last year, this is a massive upgrade for community engagement.
Bandai Namco requires players to register through their new tournament portal for Soul Calibur VI. Based on Tekken 7’s system, this tournament portal tracks online tournament results and ranking points for players.
While the community awaits more details, the initial prizes for top placements include custom signed artwork and exclusive t-shirts. Bandai Namco plans to announce more information soon at scworldtour.com which will include the event schedule and additional updates.
Hwang arrived in SCVI back in December. Source: Bandai Namco
While Soul Calibur’s last content update was released back in December with Hwang, fans still eagerly await more developer support for the title. The Soul Calibur Online Challenge is a promising sign that Bandai Namco still appreciates the game’s competitive scene.
As one of the most exciting announcements at Evo 2019, Samurai Shodown’s Haohmaru was announced as the first season two DLC character for SCVI. Though season two may be perhaps the final season of content for Soul Calibur, the franchise’s legacy is well-known among fighting game fans.
Soul Calibur VI celebrates over two million copies sold. Source: Bandai Namco
Bandai Namco also announced Soul Calibur VI reaching over two million copies sold. While the future of Soul Calibur VI content may be uncertain as of now, it is clear that the competitive community is still showing signs of life. Especially with offline tournaments on the rise, expect to see plenty of Calibur action during the Soul Calibur Online Challenge and at major events in the near future.
Featured image courtesy of Bandai Namco
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