It's time for Sega to bring back the classic 90s fighting game

The fighting genre is made up of dozens of unique IPs, although the average person is probably only familiar with a handful of franchises such as Tekken, Street Fighteror Mortal Kombat. But then you have other series that are just outside the mainstream like Guilty Gear or Fatal Furywhich are worth watching, even if they are not as productive as the aforementioned genre leaders.

Eternal champions is one such IP, though unlike something similar Fatal Furyrights holder Sega did not ask for any retaliation from the gaming audience: Eternal champions launched in 1993 on the Sega Genesis and stayed there for over three decades. It is also a great shame, as Eternal champions could easily go toe-to-toe with the hottest modern fighting games. With a bit of luck, maybe one day it will work.

The cast of Eternal Champions is one of the best in the genre

Eternal championwith has a roster of nine fighters. Everyone is from a different time period and died in some unfair or undeserved way. In the far, far future, a being called the Eternal Champion decided that these deaths were responsible for the downfall of the universe, as each of these nine warriors was destined for some greatness. As such, the Eternal Champion forms a tournament with these nine souls who must fight outside of time for the opportunity to be sent back seconds before their death. He has to fight for a second chance at life.

This leads to one of the most impressive and diverse characters in any fighting game Eternal championwithThe story allows for – and almost demands – anachronistic elements. Here's a breakdown of the whole thing Eternal champions cast and their significance for the lore of the game:

Character name	Country of origin	Year of death	Profession	Manner of death	Consequence of death
Jonathan Blade	Syria	2030 AD	Bounty Hunter	While trying to capture a terrorist who is in possession of a deadly biological weapon, he is shot by special forces.	A terrorist biological weapon is unleashed.
Jetta Maxx	Russian	1899 AD	Spy	While the circus acrobat was in deep hiding, her equipment was tampered with before performing in China, which was a front for information. She collapsed and died during the performance.	Tensions between Russia and China are growing.
Larcen Tyler	United States (Chicago)	Around 1920 AD	Cat thief	Although he thought he was planting evidence on a hospitalized rival crime boss while working for the Mafia, Larcen was actually prepared: he unwittingly brought a bomb into the hospital and was killed in the explosion.	There are several victims in a Chicago hospital, including the city's police chief.
Midknight (born Mitchell Middleton Knight)	Great Britain	2100 AD	Biochemist (former)	Mitchell Middleton Knight was a British biochemist working for the CIA, who in 1967 sent him to poison the water supply in North Vietnam with a new serum he had developed. He accidentally exposed himself to a serum that turned him into some sort of mutant vampire. After spending over 100 years searching for a cure, he was killed by vampire hunters.	A cure for mutant vampirism was never developed.
RAX Coswell	United States	2345 AD	Boxer	A cybernetically enhanced boxing champion, RAX's manager double-crossed him in an attempt to win a bet in one of his matches: he infected RAX with a computer virus and killed him during the match.	The corruption of the far-future boxing ring is never revealed, and boxing remains a deadly and inhumane system.
Shadow of Yamato	Japan	1993 AD	Ninja	While trying to expose Shadow Orchard Corp, the organization she worked for, Shadow was murdered by the organization's superiors.	Shadow Orchard Corp's evil deeds remain undetected and unpunished.
Slash	Prehistoric Great Rift Valley	About 50,000 BC	Hunter	A hunter with unusually high intelligence, Slash's ambitions and attempts to improve society retaliated with violence. He was killed by the elders of his tribe who feared that he would undermine their power.	Without Slash's intelligence and resourcefulness, humanity was led down a path of war and destruction.
Trident	Atlantis	110 BC	Gladiator	Trident was chosen to compete in the gladiatorial arena in Rome: if he emerged victorious, the Atlanteans would be granted a land next to the Roman Empire. A fellow gladiator secretly caused a pillar to fall on him during a battle.	Atlantis was driven into the sea and eventually died out.
Xavier Pendragon	United States of America (Salem)	1692 AD	Scholar/Alchemist	After his study of alchemy was discovered, he was accused of witchcraft and killed during the Salem Witch Trials.	The rampant witch hunts continued.

The sky's the limit for reviving modern Eternal Champions

I imagine it's pretty intimidating to ship a “new” IP fighting game in 2026, even if you're a company the size of Sega: Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter they are tough competition, that's for sure. But I insist Eternal champions would have a fighting chance (no pun intended) in the genre space today not only because of the strength of its original cast, but because of its very premise.

The idea of a superpowered being who manipulates space and time to create a tournament where ghosts from all over history, while silly (and very 90s), basically offers a lot of creative freedom. You can draw from pretty much any historical period, including prehistoric times, for your characters, and this will inevitably lead to compelling, unexpected dynamics if the narrative is handled with due care. Character diversity is essential in fighting games in my opinion and Eternal champions he has it in spades. It's time for Sega to realize the gem it has on its hands.