It's been roughly a year since we learned that Samurai Shodown's Haohmaru would be joining the cast of Soulcalibur VI. Crossovers are becoming the norm with fighting games, but a lot of the time the characters being mashed up don't make sense. For once, Haohmaru was a perfect fit for the world that Soulcalibur is. This was a wandering ronin that could square off against the likes of Mitsurugi. That's a dream match-up.
Now, we have a better idea of what Haohmaru will look like in-game. At EVO Japan 2020 last night, Bandai Namco gave us an early look at the wild-haired samurai in a 3D environment. Going for the obvious, he battles against Mitsurugi in a new stage fashioned after his own series. It's not a tremendous amount of footage to go off of, but we see some combos and his super attack.
It might be a little strange to see Haohmaru rendered so realistically, but this fighter looks great. Soulcalibur has never been a stranger to guest characters, but the games always had a weird tendency to put anachronistic fighters on the roster. VI has this with Nier: Automata's 2B, but it also contains The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia who slots in nicely with the existing cast. It's strange, but sort of cohesive nonetheless.
Anyway, this trailer almost fashions Mitsurugi as Haohmaru's long-time rival. The duo speak during their battle as if their swords have been clashing for ages. It's a nice detail that enhances Haohmaru's inclusion. Bandai Namco definitely went the extra mile with attention to detail for SNK's series.
Haohmaru will be the next DLC fighter for Soulcalibur VI, but we don't know exactly when. The trailer ends on a vague "Spring 2020" date and then teases that two more fighters are up for season pass two. Apart from 2B, the other DLC characters have been returning veterans, so there's a chance the upcoming additions will be as well.
What I'm more interested in is what costume pieces Haohmaru will come with. Soulcalibur VI has an immensely deep character creator, but it would be awesome to get some official SNK clothing options. Wouldn't it be a hoot to see someone from The King of Fighters as a custom character?
Source: Twitter