History YMMV / SoulcaliburVI

** Season 2's new Soul Chronicle episodes for Setsuka and new interludes for Mitsurugi and Nightmare has managed to top [[spoiler:Original!Cassandra]] as the most unexpected character yet: [[spoiler:'''Iska Farkas''', from ''Soulcalibur Legends''. That's right, not just any character, but the main villain of a ''non-canon spinoff game'' has now been introduced into the main ''Soulcalibur'' continuity!]]

** Season 2 has managed to top [[spoiler:Original!Cassandra]] as the most unexpected character yet: [[spoiler:'''Iska Farkas''', from ''Soulcalibur Legends''. That's right, not just any character, but the main villain of a ''non-canon spinoff game'' has now been introduced into the main ''Soulcalibur'' continuity!]]

** Season 2 has managed to top [[spoielr:Original!Cassandra]] as the most unexpected character yet: [[spoiler:'''Iska Farkas''', from ''Soulcalibur Legends''. That's right, not just any character, but the main villain of a ''non-canon spinoff game'' has now been introduced into the main ''Soulcalibur'' continuity!]]

** Hwang. The fact that he's (physically) returned in the canon after being shafted since ''Soulcalibur II'' in favor of the much more divisive Yun-seong [[note]]barring a stint as a bonus character in ''III'', followed by briefly being bumped back up to playable status for ''[[UpdatedRerelease Arcade Edition]]''; he also made a text-only cameo in ''IV'', mentioned in the story section of Yun-seong's profile[[/note]] yet isn't currently playable, has led many, many fans to hope that he'll be included as DLC and will make his grand return to the series for the first time in over a decade. His [[ShipTease relationship]] with Seong Mi-na also helps. He is then confirmed as the final [=DLC=] character for the Season 2 pass.

** Hwang. The fact that he's (physically) returned in the canon after being shafted since ''Soulcalibur II'' in favor of the much more divisive Yun-seong [[note]]barring a stint as a bonus character in ''III'', followed by briefly being bumped back up to playable status for ''[[UpdatedRerelease Arcade Edition]]''; he also made a text-only cameo in ''IV'', mentioned in the story section of Yun-seong's profile[[/note]] yet isn't currently playable, has led many, many fans to hope that he'll be included as DLC and will make his grand return to the series for the first time in over a decade. His [[ShipTease relationship]] with Seong Mi-na also helps.

** The fact that the game's story is not a ''complete'' reboot. as the story is set after the events of the [[SequelDisplacement fairly obscure]] first game ''Soul Edge'' (currently referred as [[MarketBasedTitle its overseas title]] ''Soul Blade'' due to copyright issues over word "edge") where Cervantes was the main antagonist and was killed by Taki with Sophitia destroying Soul Edge. When the story starts, almost the entire cast aware of each other (with the exceptions of the characters introduced in the original ''Soulcalibur'' and its sequels) and are already looking for Soul Edge, while the Malfested (people corrupted by Soul Edge's energy; note that the term "malfested" wasn't even used in the localization until ''V'', with previous installment instead calling them Evils) have been rampaging across Europe and Asia for some time.

** There are many who state that Mitsurugi faced Shugen after his story in Soul Chronicle. In fact, the menu in Soul Chronicle is a timeline that shows what year each event happened including those that happened in Libra of Soul and his side story is explicitly labeled as 1585 while his main story starts around 1586. In fact, his appearance in Libra of Soul shows that he was heading back to Japan shortly before his side story even started and said that he was glad to be back in Japan, showing very little ambiguity.

* CommonKnowledge: After [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B]]'s announcement, it was claimed by many (most notably, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBoUHmTU78 Aris]]) that this was a result of fan demand with there initially being no plans to bring her in until they saw how popular she was. In actuality, Project Soul was in talks to bring 2B in the game that (according to [[BigNameFan Kayane]]) was confirmed in ''January 2018'', just a month after the game's announcement, but they didn't go public with it until October. It's safe to say that she was ''always'' on the cards.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Albeit, [[NonPlayerCharacter none playable so far]], for the most part.
** It's rather surprising that Fu-Ma ninjas Maki and Geki appear in Taki's Chronicle. For reference, they had only appeared in the non-canon, oft-forgotten, Wii-exclusive ''Soulcalibur Legends'' over a decade prior, and were often thought of as being non-canon themselves because of it. Even more surprising for those privy to the existence of ''Legends'' is the fact that these two were given completely new designs depicting how they looked pre-malfestation. ** Similarly, in a call-back for fans of ''Soul Edge'', Taki also faces the demon Gel-O-Fury, who she seals inside a temple in her ''Edge'' story and is otherwise only briefly seen in cutscenes.

** Cassandra's Soul Chronicle comes with quite possibly the most unexpected character yet, especially for those not privy to the lore. [[spoiler:It's Cassandra... from the ''[[AlternateSelf original]]'' timeline. It was established in the ''New Legends of Project Soul'' artbook from 2012 that Cassandra was trapped in Astral Chaos, but that had little effect on ''V'' itself (in fact, it was never mentioned in the game itself). The fact that ''VI'' is a ContinuityReboot made it seem this plot thread would be forgotten entirely. In actuality, the original Cassandra ends up being a massive ChekhovsGunman who serves to [[ArcWelding tie the timelines together]], with the former being a BadFuture that the latter must be saved from. Her role is essential in [[ForWantOfANail diverging from the timeline as we know it]] by informing her new timeline counterpart of what will happen and giving her the information to stop it, a twist not too many players would've seen coming in advance.]]

** The fact that the game's story is not a ''complete'' reboot. as the story is set after the events of the [[SequelDisplacement fairly obscure]] first game ''Soul Edge'' (currently referred as [[MarketBasedTitle its overseas title]] ''Soul Blade'' due to copyright issues over word "edge") where Cervantes was the main antagonist and was killed by Taki with Sophitia destroying Soul Edge. When the story starts, almost the entire cast knows of each other (with the exceptions of the characters introduced in the original ''Soulcalibur'' and its sequels) and Soul Edge and are trying to find it, while the Malfested (people corrupted by Soul Edge's energy; note that the term "malfested" wasn't even used in the localization until ''V'', with previous installment instead calling them Evils) are rampaging across Europe and Asia.

** The fact that the game's story is not a ''complete'' reboot. as the story is set after the events of the [[SequelDisplacement fairly obscure]] first game ''Soul Edge'' (currently referred as [[MarkedBasedTitle its overseas title]] ''Soul Blade'' due to copyright issues over word "edge") where Cervantes was the main antagonist and was killed by Taki with Sophitia destroying Soul Edge. When the story starts, almost the entire cast knows of each other (with the exceptions of the characters introduced in the original ''Soulcalibur'' and its sequels) and Soul Edge and are trying to find it, while the Malfested (people corrupted by Soul Edge's energy; note that the term "malfested" wasn't even used in the localization until ''V'', with previous installment instead calling them Evils) are rampaging across Europe and Asia.

** [[https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/soulcalibur/news/soulcalibur-vi-evo-japan-community-questions-follow Withholding frame data]] (see question 19) isn't in and of itself a base-breaker, as in-game frame data displays are the exception rather than the norm. However, with the announcement of frame data as paid DLC in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'' (see [[YMMV/Tekken7 its YMMV page]]), players speculate that the same thing will happen to ''Soulcalibur VI'' if the developers ever change their minds on adding the feature, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/SoulCalibur/comments/doa2wi/really_hoping_we_do_have_to/ attracting the reactions and debates]] that entails.

* ContinuityLockout: If you're not versed with the obscure bits of the lore, expect to be confused when [[spoiler:the original timeline version of Cassandra shows up in Astral Chaos during Soul Chronicle. This was established before, but only in the ''New Legends of Project Soul'' artbook that was made to be part of the SoftReboot ''V'' was supposed to lead, before it got canned in favor of the ContinuityReboot that is ''VI''. It was a small detail, [[AllThereInTheManual never mentioned outside the book]], nor was there any indication that this would remain canon especially after the reboot wiped the slate clean. Yet, it's absolutely vital in establishing the new status quo going forward.]]
** The fact that the game's story is not a ''complete'' reboot as the story is set after the events of the oscure first game ''Soul Edge'' (currently referred as ''Soul Blade'' due to copyright issues over word Edge) where Cervantes was the main antagonist and was killed by Taki with Sophitia destroying Soul Edge. When the story starts, almost the entire cast knows of eachother (with the exceptions of the characters introduced in the original Soul Calibur game and the sequels) and Soul Edge and are trying to find it, while the Malfested (people corrupted by Soul Edge's energy) are rampaging across Europe and Asia.
* CreatorWorship: Motohiro Okubo is held in ''very'' high regard by the fanbase as the man who saved ''Soulcalibur''. It's not inaccurate either, considering that it was him who had to step up during the game's TroubledProduction, and he went out of his way to please audiences and win over fans. Many hope he continues as the lead going forward, specifically so the series remains on the right track.

* GameBreaker: Using certain elements from Create-A-Soul (such as the turle shells) in a specific manner, it is possible to make custom characters whose bodies are almost completely obscured and hidden from view, thus making their moves downright impossible to see coming and much, ''much'' harder to react to, which naturally gives them an extremely unfair advantage over "normal" characters. This would be annoying enough, but the fact that it is possible to take these characters ''in Ranked Mode'' is what truly drives this into GameBreaker territory. [[https://www.gamesradar.com/all-those-wacky-soul-calibur-6-custom-characters-are-causing-problems-in-ranked-mode/ As a result,]] numerous players have requested that custom characters be disabled in Ranked matches.

*** Additionally, the [[PaletteSwap version of 2B with tanned skin and a white dress]], generally called [[FanNickname 2P]] ends up being used in the crossover event between Nier:Automata and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV Final Fantasy XIV]], and is called, what else, 2P.
** With ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' announcing their own crossover with ''The Witcher'', many joked that Geralt was stuck in a phenomenon where he's perpetually being forced to travel to other worlds via portals. The "hilarious" part being that in his Soul Chronicle, Geralt ends up back home with no indication that he traveled again.

** Because of his [[NonStandardCharacterDesign overly-anime design]] that clashes with the feel of the rest of the game, his personality and demeanor being very brooding and edgy, him often having [[BornUnlucky bad luck]] that gets him into trouble, and his weapon looking more like something you'd see in a [[EasternRPG JRPG]] rather than a fighting game, jokes at the expense of Grøh are common. [[spoiler:The fact that he ends up dying during the climax of Libra of Soul ([[MultipleEndings if your soul is aligned with the darkness instead of the light]]) doesn't exactly help, though the circumstances leading to [[MercyKill that event]] are often looked upon solemnly by players.]]

* ParanoiaFuel: The Expedition mechanic in Libra of Soul can dip into this. Normally, you get a chance of having a warrior standing in your way, like, say, regular bandits, lizardmen and so on. The paranoia can really kick in when the purple prompt "A mysterious warrior approaches!" appears, meaning you could end up clashing with fully-transformed Malfested. That is, if you're lucky enough to not have a run-in with [[spoiler:Taki or Voldo]].

** Due to the game being chock-full of {{fanservice}}, and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6'' becoming TamerAndChaster, some former fans of that game have turned their interest to this.

** When first introduced, Grøh got a ton of hate for his look (due to looking like an anime and/or emo stereotype), but after people actually got the opportunity to play him, his popularity rose quite considerably. While there are still considerable complaints about how he tonally clashes with the atmosphere of the ''Soul'' series, it's hard to say he's outright ''hated'' anymore. Having great voicework courtesy of Creator/TakahiroSakurai and Creator/XanderMobus certainly helps. [[spoiler:He also ends up suffering a rather tragic fate when all's said and done, [[TragicMonster willingly succumbing to]] [[TheCorruption malfestation]] in a failed effort to stop Azwel and--[[MultipleEndings depending where your soul falls on the spirit scales Zasalamel gives you]]--later having to be [[MercyKill put down]] by the player in the final storyline battle of Libra of Soul [[PlayerPunch after you spend quite a bit of time connecting with Grøh and two of his closest allies]]. (And then you have the option of putting his spirit to rest a second time in the Epilogue.) Very few players, even those among his detractors, can say that they relished being the ones to put him out of his misery. On the other hand, should Grøh instead survive the events of Libra of Soul, he comes out of the ordeal with a significantly improved disposition and feels indebted to the player for saving his life as he elects to not return to the Aval Organization, suggesting he'll be far less "edgy" a character should he return in a future installment.]]

* SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: As with all ''Soul Calibur'' games since ''SCIII'', Create-A-Soul can be a huge time sink, or even the main reason to buy the game in the first place.

*** Her Critical Edge is another problematic attack of hers. It's long-ranged (natch), it deals respectable damage like any other Critical Edge, and its pushback on block means that punishing it, while very possible, becomes tricky especially for shorter-ranged characters like Maxi and Talim. But the real issue with it is the built-in [[PunchParry Guard Impact]] properties which, unlike other auto-Guard Impact attacks, cover all attack ranges ''and'' throws. Recklessly attacking Ivy while she has at least one stock of meter is just asking to be whipped silly.

*** Likewise, his Critical Edge. While it does give players a sliver of time to react, said window is rather small and you have to duck in time to not get grabbed. The fact that it has deceptive reach does not help.

** [[DownplayedTrope While the reaction isn't all that loud or negative]], there remains a moderate amount of displeasure with how limited the selection of stages in ''VI'' currently is, not just in quantity but also in variety. For the many, ''many'' complaints lobbied at ''V'', the wide and diverse array of arenas was not one of those grievances; the game boasted a whopping 27 stages, the highest total in the series to date [[labelnote:(By comparison...)]]''Soul Edge'': 13 stages; ''Soulcalibur'': 19 stages; ''Soulcalibur II'': 16 stages; ''Soulcalibur III'': 25 stages; ''Soulcalibur IV'': 21 stages; ''Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny'': 18 stages[[/labelnote]], and many of them managed to feel distinct from one another in spite of several stages having some sort of variant or parallel elsewhere. In addition to completely open venues (some of which were deliberate throwbacks to the simpler arenas found in ''Soul Edge'', ''Soulcalibur'', and--to a slight degree--''Soulcalibur II''), battlegrounds with low/breakable walls, walled/caged stages that could be expanded if a character was slammed into a partition and knocked it down, and completely enclosed areas, ''V'' introduced stages with infinite boundaries in the vein of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Beyond these and a few interesting spins on the other templates, several stages were multi-tiered, either [[FreeFloorFighting sending fighters to a new area after a Ring Out]] or undergoing some sort of change in scenery when one combatant was at match point. In one case (Utopia of the Blessed), the stage even "reverts" from an infinite stage to a much smaller one with Ring Out opportunities on all sides of the arena--a novelty among the 3D fighting market. While ''VI'' otherwise sticks to the tried-and-true stage design found in the post-''Calibur'' entries, its eschewing of the innovations brought in by ''V'' coupled with the low number of stages by default (a meager '''11''') is seen, ironically enough, as something of a misstep.

** It's rather surprising that Fu-Ma ninjas Maki and Geki appear in Taki's Chronicle. For reference, they had only appeared in the non-canon, oft-forgotten, Wii-exclusive ''Soulcalibur Legends'' over a decade prior, and were often thought of as being non-canon themselves because of it. Even more surprising for those privy to the existence of ''Legends'' is the fact that these two were given completely new designs depicting how they looked pre-malfestation. In a call back for fans of Soul Blade, Taki even faces the demon "Gel-O-Fury" who she seals inside a temple in her Soul Blade story and is briefly seen in cutscenes.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: ''Soulcalibur VI'' has a T-rating, and is marketed as a general audience fighting game that anyone can enjoy. This despite being packed with so much sexual {{fanservice}} that it can even make the M-rated, comparatively niche ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' series look tame. The fact that its two guest characters, [[VideoGame/TheWitcher Geralt]] and [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B]], come from M-rated, sexualized, and kid-''un''friendly games, may be a good indicator that ''VI'' is mainly catering to an older, more mature audience despite the T-rating. Outside the abundant sexuality, the game is still ''far'' from kid-friendly with coarse language, violence, mass deaths featured in story mode, and morally complex themes.

** Though it was rare to see her get this treatment in the original continuity, Project Soul, "continuing" off from ''V'' in a sense, seems to be adamant on making sure Tira ''[[AvertedTrope isn't]]'' labeled as such, likely because [[MonsterSobStory there were enough sympathetic aspects in her life's story]] (at least from her childhood up to ''IV'') that she could be seen as a JerkassWoobie. In contrast to Raphael, Tira is reinterpreted as [[AdaptationalVillainy a far more morally corrupt character than she was before]], namely by having her be so mentally unstable she's already developed her SplitPersonality; turning the traumatic DuelToTheDeath against [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] she was forced to partake in into something Tira willingly and ''eagerly'' did (along with killing numerous other assassins she grew up alongside); showing Tira to be utterly gleeful when [[BloodbathVillainOrigin she kills her foster family in a fit of anger]] (instead of being [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone implicitly remorseful]] to some degree); and generally [[CharacterExaggeration ramping up]] her cruelty, sadism, and bloodthirsty nature.

* EightPointEight: Despite being praised from just about every outlet as a true comeback for the series, Adam Rorke of Fandom rated ''VI'' a 3/5 for very petty/minor reasons like "the game feels too familiar", "not enough has been changed", "the story is lacking", "the tutorial is not good enough", and "the designs are too sexy" (kind of a hot button topic for some of the fandom). This despite just about everyone else noting that the game is an ''improvement'' over ''V'', which had been released almost '''seven years prior''', and in all aspects is a return to form that proves the series isn't dead. Fans who saw this were '''not''' pleased.

** On top of the [[ReplacementScrappy Replacement Scrappies]], ''V'' got a lot of crap for overtly trying to be YoungerAndHipper by filling what felt like half the roster with teenagers, and even characters that were technically adults like Pyrrha still behaved like children. In the originals, the cast were almost all adults with experience and the young fighters were treated as special exceptions, so ''V'' trying to cram in a new generation wasn't something many appreciated. Here, much of the roster consists of adults who behave as such just like the old games, barring [[GenkiGirl Xianghua]], [[TokenMiniMoe Talim]], and [[IceQueen Amy]] of course--and even so, the latter two are remarkably mature for their age.

** 2B being as customizable as the rest of the main cast seems to be a response to how fans were disappointed with the lack of customizability with Geralt (and before him, the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters in ''IV'' and [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Ezio]] in ''V'').

** It's rather surprising that Fu-Ma ninjas Maki and Geki appear in Taki's Chronicle. For reference, they had only appeared in the non-canon, oft-forgotten, Wii-exclusive ''Soulcalibur Legends'' over a decade prior, and were often thought of as being non-canon themselves because of it. Even more surprising for those privy to the existence of ''Legends'' is the fact that these two were given completely new designs depicting how they looked pre-malfestation.

** From the moment ''VI'' was announced, there were already signs that this is in action. Many declared the series to be dead after nearly six years without anything major (apart from free-to-play, mobile, and pachinko machines, but that [[FanonDiscontinuity doesn't count]]) and the last game itself was [[BrokenBase polarizing]] [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment to say the least]]. Comparatively speaking, the reception to this game's announcement was highly positive, a sentiment that only intensified when it became clear that the game would ''not'' follow the largely unpopular TimeSkip from ''V'', allowing old favorites to return once again and proving one's love for the series wasn't limited to the days of old.

* WinBackTheCrowd: This is pretty much an EnforcedTrope. [[https://www.dualshockers.com/soulcalibur-6-could-be-last/ Okubo stated]] that the damage caused by ''V'' put the franchise on thin ice; if this game fails, the ''Soul'' series will completely fade from the stages of history. Therefore, they're going all out with nothing to lose.

*** Additionally, the [[PaletteSwap version of 2B with tanned skin and a white dress]], generally called [FanNickname 2P]] ends up being used in the crossover event between Nier:Automata and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV]], and is called, what else, 2P.

** Grøh is very divisive among ''Soulcalibur'' players, mostly due to his outfit being unusual and not very Nordic in appearance. Not helping is how he resembles a shonen/JRPG character in a game where other characters have some resemblance to their nationality. That said, he does have his fans for his cool fighting style and his CharacterDevelopment in Libra of Soul as well as the fact that--[[HiddenDepth once you dig beyond]] his somber personality and appearance--[[DorkKnight he's an absolute dork]] when it comes to said shonen/JRPG influences.

** Grøh is very divisive among ''Soulcalibur'' players, mostly due to his outfit being unusual and not very Nordic in appearance. Not helping is how he resembles a shonen/JRPG character in a game where other characters have some resemblance to their nationality. That said, he does have his fans for his cool fighting style and his CharacterDevelopment in Libra of Soul.

* [[HoYay Les Yay]]: [[https://preview.redd.it/rpqepng4y1v11.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=98d4bf2b5f2e466a2a378e02b4046e971accdf9d The official 2B vs. Ivy artwork]] is supposed to pit them as rivals, but it looks a lot more suggestive and [[GirlOnGirlIsHot has fans hoping for it to escalate to its logical conclusion]].

** A common joke among the fandom after ''VI''[='s=] reveal was that this game was created to prevent [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV Patroklos]] from being born [[TheScrappy due to how hated he is as a character]] and [[CreatorsPest even the current Project Soul staff throwing him under the bus]]. [[spoiler:Cassandra's Soul Chronicle reveals that the events of ''Soulcalibur V'' are considered to be a BadFuture and that Cassandra will be naming the firstborn of Sophitia's children (i.e. Pyrrha, who has far less of a shaky reputation among fans), seemingly canonizing that Project Soul ''is'' trying to prevent the younger Alexander from showing up again (or, at the very least, showing up again [[SketchySuccessor under]] [[NominalHero the]] [[HeroWithAnFInGood same]] [[FantasticRacism context]] [[WeakWilled as]] [[UnwittingPawn in]] ''V'').]]

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Namco has done Day 1 DLC as a means to unlock characters before, with ''Soulcalibur V'' having Dampierre and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} 7'' having Eliza. Those times, there was practically no backlash (or at least, it was very minimal), mainly because they were niche characters who had their own fans but weren't super prominent, and were not highly popular, highly requested series staples. When ''VI'' did their go-around at this, they used ''Tira'', considered ''the'' DarkActionGirl of the ''Soul'' series and a BreakoutCharacter from ''III'' who is likely the most recognizable character created post-''II''. For many, it felt like using a character as well-liked, requested and iconic to the series as Tira for an incentive to increase revenue was a low blow.

** [[VideoGame/NierAutomata Yorha No.2 Type B, aka 2B]], being announced as an actual playable DLC character, in the same vein as [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis]] in ''[[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Tekken 7]]'', which also crosses over into HilariousInHindsight considering how popular 2B was in Character Creation. While ''a lot'' of people did request her, many thought she wouldn't really make it in the game for a number of factors such as the opinion that she'd [[FishOutOfWater feel out of place in the setting/time period]] similar to the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters in ''IV'' or that Okubo hated the idea of her being in ([[GodNeverSaidThat which he never actually said]]). Her being the first post-launch character announced was a pleasant surprise.

** Hilde's new design has her wearing [[ChainmailBikini "boob plate" armor]]. Considering that her (very practical) suit of armor in her ''SCIV'' debut was praised for going against the HotterAndSexier trend, a number of fans were dismayed to see her in a getup that would realistically impale her chest were she to take a blow to the torso. Other fans, however, were quick to point out that, realism aside, Hilde remains [[TokenWholesome the most modestly dressed female character on the roster by far]] (excluding her face, Hilde's armor does not show an ounce of skin, which is consistent with her previous two appearances) and that seemingly no one took issue with the design of Hilde's armor in ''V'' despite it also sporting noticeable curvature in the chest area.

** Much like, ironically, ''IV'', this game offers absolutely no [[DittoFighter mimic characters]] at all, not even Edge Master, who was the series' original mimic in the first ''Calibur'' yet only appears as an NPC in the story mode of ''VI''. This is after ''V'' provided the most blatant DittoFighter oversaturation with 3 such characters (Edge Master, Kilik, Elysium), which was considered a damning point in ''V'''s roster choice.

** [[https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/soulcalibur/news/soulcalibur-vi-evo-japan-community-questions-follow Withholding frame data]] (see question 19) isn't in and of itself a base breaker, as in-game frame data displays are the exception rather than the norm. However, with the announcement of frame data as paid DLC in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'' (see [[YMMV/Tekken7 its YMMV page]]), players speculate that the same thing will happen to Soulcalibur 6 if the developers ever change their minds on adding the feature, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/SoulCalibur/comments/doa2wi/really_hoping_we_do_have_to/ attracting the reactions and debates]] that entails.

** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] was originally considered to be a guest character in ''Soulcalibur II'', but the deal was canceled. Here, Creator/TakahiroSakurai, Cloud's voice actor, voices newcomer Grøh. Even funnier is how Grøh's hairstyle in Soul Charge mode resembles Cloud's hair shape-wise.

* ThatOneBoss: Libra of Soul gives us Azwel in the Chapter 4 mission "The Final Key". Him being permanently Soul Charged is bad enough, but unlike the Kilik example mentioned below, he's mandatory to fight to progress. His A.I., like many examples of this trope in the ''Soul'' series, [[FakeDifficulty can read button inputs]] and can (and most likely will) combo into a Critical Edge. Lastly, you need to win 3 out of 5 rather than 2 out of 3.
** Inferno when the game gives him advantages can be very annoying, a good example is your first fight with him after you complete the main story of Libra of souls. He pulls the whole PerfectPlayAI bit on you, but additionally his moveset combined with his aggressiveness and button reading makes him an unfair challenge. In addition to having Nightmare's moveset, and all the reach and perfect countering that entails, he also has an expanded moveset that lets him teleport, float, and preform broken moves as well. On high A.I. with a damage buff he will smack you around the arena, perfectly guessing your moves and abusing his reach and moves for all they're worth, as well as having a few combos that are basically forced damage if they connect unimpeded. If he has a charge of soul bar expect him to pull out critical edges that feel downright spiteful given that he has Nightmare's unique guard preceding it as well as just being able to force you to eat it after he's knocked you down from a combo that ate half your health.
* ThatOneSidequest: Libra of Soul gives us the dreadful "Pounding Heart" side mission late in the game; don't even try to attempt it until you've hit the level cap. Returning to Edge Master's cave, you find yourself facing off against a Level 70 Kilik in a rematch. The problem? Kilik fights you in his now-mastered SuperpoweredEvilSide, meaning he's permanently Soul Charged to give himself a massive, permanent damage boost. However, rather than suffering from the CastFromHitpoints limitation this form normally gives him, any damage he deals to you ''heals'' him instead and by a lot. He blocks just about any strike with impunity, and anything he doesn't block will be Guard Impacted. He breaks out of any throws you try to pull on him. If you give him ''any'' split-second openings, he will trap you in his combos until you're dead. Sure, you can use mercenaries and food to help, but he'll still easily lay their benefits to waste. And finally, you have to win '''three''' rounds to beat him. The only saving grace that makes the fight manageable is that you can ring him out if you can get him to the edge, but he can easily turn this around on you too. If you can beat this mission, everything else outside of the [[LuckBasedMission various]] [[FinalExamBoss Ancient]] side missions and maybe "The Fires of Hell: Nightmare" [[note]]a two-round battle against a Lv. 75 [[SNKBoss Inferno]] with Ring Out disabled and Inferno starting the match in Soul Charge[[/note]] will seem piss-easy by comparison.

** In a similar vein, there's the recasting of Talim from Creator/KateHiggins to Creator/KiraBuckland. While few find fault with Buckland's performance, it being a near-perfect mimicry of her predecessor's that fits Talim like a glove yet manages to sound distinct, later news that Higgins is still lending her voice to the game--as Tira's new VA--but not reprising Talim despite a majority of the English voice cast that debuted in ''III'' returning for ''VI'' raised some eyebrows, especially considering that Higgins is one of the few [=VAs=] from ''III'' to have been part of every mainline installment since then (she also voiced Natsu in ''V'').

** How some view the heavy sexualization of the female cast, especially when it would logically be uncomfortable to move in such attire let alone fight in, like Ivy and Seong Mi-na. A case of HistoryRepeats, as this was also a complaint these people had about ''Soulcalibur IV''. However, this game arguably has it worse; ''VI'' lacks any alternative costume options outside of customizing characters in Creation, whereas ''IV'' gave nearly every female fighter significantly more modest clothing for their 2P attire. Additionally, there's a very noticeable void left by the absence of Hilde, who was specifically designed as [[TokenWholesome a character meant to be visually appealing without showing much skin]] and was praised for standing out against the surfeit of {{fanservice}} found in ''IV''.

** Hilde's new design has her wearing [[BreastPlate "boob plate"]] armor. Considering that her practical armored design in SC IV was originally praised for going against the HotterAndSexier trend, many were dismayed to see that with a getup that would impale her chest were she to take a blow to the torso.