A new job listing for a Bandai Namco-developed fighting game has appeared online, and it’s got anime, Soul Calibur, and Super Smash Bros. fans all wondering what it could be.
Even though the Switch 2 hasn’t even been out for a full year yet and has given us plenty of bangers like Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, and Mario Kart World, the console still gets hit with claims that there’s nothing to play. This is mostly because it feels like Nintendo is still hiding some of the biggest games we’re all expecting to see at some point.
A new 3D Mario or Zelda are high up on my list of Switch 2 games to look forward to, but there’s nothing that would get me more excited than a new Smash, whether it’s an expansion to Ultimate or a fresh take on the series. Nintendo has kept quiet about the chances of a new Smash, but there’s a bit of hopium in the air thanks to a Bandai Namco job listing.
Bandai Namco Is Hiring For A New Fighting Game, And I’m Praying It’s Smash
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As pointed out by Redditor andree1234 on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, Bandai Namco recently posted a job listing on its Japanese website that specifically calls out a “new fighting game”. The listing mentions Bandai Namco’s head office, and shares a few details on what kind of fighting game is being made.
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Some of the details noted in the job description include online battles and lobbies, character movesets, balance, NPC characters, stage design, game scenarios, and voice recordings. Nothing too specific, but it shows that the fighting game is going to be pretty well-rounded and have a decent amount to it, suggesting it’s a bit more complex than most anime fighting games.
Bandai Namco is responsible for a lot of fighting games, but there are a few in particular that people are speculating about. Smash Bros. is the most obvious one since it’d definitely be a massive project needing new hires, and Bandai has been a lead developer for the last few games. The focus on stages and NPCs (which could be assist trophies) does lend some credence to it being Smash-related.
The other big guess is a new Soul Calibur game, which would fit what is described in the job listing and has been an incredibly long time coming since the last game released eight years ago, although Bandai hasn’t seemed that interested in SC as of late. The listing could also be related to Bandai’s biggest fighting game, Tekken, but since Tekken 8 is still going strong, that seems a little less likely.
Of course, there’s a chance that the fighting game in development is entirely new and not a sequel to anything, but that’s not as fun to speculate on.
For now, all we have is a bunch of guesses as to what kind of fighting game Bandai Namco could be developing, which is tough since it’s done so much in the genre. With all the rumblings of a potential new Smash, though, that’s where my bet and my hopes are placed, but I’ll be just as happy if it ends up being Soul Calibur or something brand new.
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