SLE | HotMatcha

With the release of the new trailer, I have something I would like to share with you. Last week, we lost our Assistant Producer, Parisi Giuseppe, after his battle with cancer. He was one of my closest collaborators and a dear friend. The idea of “reality” as a key theme for VFCR was born from brainstorming sessions we had together in the early days of the project, before he had officially joined the team. Around that time, I learned that he was living with illness. Even so, I wanted to make this project with him. He shared that feeling, and joined the team. He told me that, while working, he wanted to be able to forget about his illness. True to his word, he dedicated himself to the project with unwavering determination and passion until the very end. He was a huge fan of Virtua Fighter and SEGA—and a devoted Pai player. He held deep respect for Japanese studios and their work, while bringing a perspective from abroad that no one else could have brought to the team. He was truly irreplaceable. We discussed and chose the names of the new characters together. Lionel, too, is a character we shaped together. His loss is immeasurable. The passion he brought to VFCR, and everything he left with us, will continue to live on in this project. It may take us a little time before we are able to share our next update. We would be grateful for your patience and for continuing to watch over the project.