At EVO Japan 2020, where 510 players competed in the Soulcalibur 6 tournament 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-wielding rōnin.
Haohmaru has appeared in every Samurai Shodown title to date and joins fellow crossover fighters 2B (from NieR: Automata) and Geralt (of Witcher fame) as guests in the Soulcalibur 6 universe. The legendary swordsman, based on real-life samurai Miyamoto Musashi, slots into the roster right after Hilde, the first DLC character of season two, who was made available on November 26th.
The trailer opens on Haohmaru's stage from Samurai Shodown, the island of Gairyu. This stage has been Haohmaru's home turf since the 1993 original Samurai Shodown for 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 his Samurai Shodown (2019) form. Soulcalibur 6 producer 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 in Soucalibur 6 can get practice with the character in Samurai 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 lineup have gone to returning characters, so it is likely that the game will add some fan favorites to the arena. The Soulcalibur 6 community has produced some memorable moments in the fighting game world, and by adding more, exciting characters to the mix, will surely be an EVO staple for the foreseeable future.
Soulcalibur 6 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One