Capcom Fighting Collection is not a hint at any series’ revival, opines producer

Creatures of the Night will be staying there

In a month from now, classic fighting game fans will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of hard-brawling retro compendium Capcom Fighting Collection, which gathers together 10 rock-’em sock-’em titles from the iconic publisher’s past. And while some fans might think that this release may ignite the revival of some forgotten favorites, one of Capcom’s own producers thinks that perhaps we should, unfortunately, keep those hopes in check.

Speaking in a new interview with Game Informer, Street Fighter producer Shuhei Matsumoto was asked whether the Capcom Fighting Collection shined new hope of M.I.A. franchises such as Red Earth, Cyberbots, and — more notably — Darkstalkers making their long-awaited comeback. Unfortunately, in Matsumoto’s opinion, the new compendium is simply a happy representation of the company’s past and has no particular design for its future.

“I genuinely want these titles to be played once again on current-gen consoles,” offered Matsumoto. “I also want people who may have seen them but never had the chance to play them to get this opportunity. That said, we do not think that this will necessarily increase the possibility of these series being revived.”

The comments, though not any concrete company line, will likely dampen the spirits of the long-suffering Darkstalkers fanbase, who have now gone several decades without seeing the gothic horror fighting franchise make its grand return. Incredibly, it has been an entire decade since Capcom declared “Darkstalkers is Not Dead” in a San Diego Comic-Con trailer that, essentially, amounted to very little.

In 2013, Capcom released Darkstalkers: Resurrection, a remaster of classic entries Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge (1995) and Darkstalkers 3 (1997). Unfortunately, the title failed to meet Capcom’s sales expectations, very likely putting the brakes on any plans for a full-on modern-day revival. Have the Darkstalkers vanished into the night for good? Perhaps not, we are likely to see some of the characters making guest appearances in other releases. As for a new sequel, never say never. It would be a shame if Capcom had closed the coffin for good.

Capcom Fighting Collection launches June 24 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.