'Tekken 7' release date, news, rumors: Upcoming game will be VR compatible? Jun Kazama, Kuma, Roger Jr not included in roster

Fans can expect a lot of exciting contents in the upcoming fighting video game by Bandai Namco, "Tekken 7." Aside from its all-new roster of characters that is expected to be larger than ever, the latest installment in the "Tekken" franchise will also be adding virtual reality (VR) components to the game.

According to Yibada, "Tekken 7" will be the very first title in the game series to feature VR compatibility. However, the players cannot expect the game to have virtual reality features in all available home consoles today. Game producer Katsuhiro Harada revealed in a tweeted that the VR gameplay of the upcoming "Tekken" installment is exclusive only to the PlayStation 4 console. Last year, Sony unveiled the PlayStation VR as the virtual reality headset for PS4, bringing the gaming experience in a whole new level.

For now, only Sony's PlayStation VR is expected to support the virtual reality contents of "Tekken 7." Players will not experience the VR gameplay of "Tekken 7" in Xbox One and PC platforms, as the game's VR features are not yet supported by the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headgears.

Meanwhile, there is a sad news for the long-time "Tekken" fans as the next installment will not be including some fighters from the previous "Tekken" game titles. Specifically, Jun Kazama, Kuma and Roger Jr. will not be included in the featured roster of "Tekken 7." As the game will be featuring new characters in the lineup, Bandai Namco needed to omit some of the franchise's resident fighters based on the general audience's reception.

As for Jun, it was reported that Bandai Namco could not get a response from the audience when they added her in "Tekken Tag Tournament 2," which is not a good sign for the character to be included in the new game. As for Kuma and Roger, Siliconera reported that the Japanese game developer company is having a hard time in deciding whether to include more non-human fighters in the franchise. With a mixed response from the fans about introducing more of these characters, Bandai Namco has come to a decision to lessen them in "Tekken 7." Thus, Kuma and Roger Jr. are officially out of the upcoming game's roster.

There is no confirmed exact date yet for the release of "Tekken 7," but it is expected to be out early 2017 for PS4, Xbox One and PC platforms.