Namco announces SoulCalibur V tournament

The launch party for upcoming fighting game SoulCalibur V will be open to all and feature stars of the UK fighting-game scene, publisher Namco Bandai announced today. The event will take place on February 4 and mark the beginning of a UK-wide search for the best SoulCalibur players who will then face off on March 16 at a secret location.

Ezio is appearing in the fighting series for the first time.

The event--which will be held at Islington's Chapel Bar from midday to 6:00 p.m.--will be open to 200 gamers, with entry decided on a first-come, first-served basis. Those lucky enough to get in will be able to see Mad Catz's SoulCalibur V Soul Edition fight sticks and get tips from pro-players Ryan Hart (Prodigal Son) and Marie-Laure Norindr (Kayane) who will be playing some exhibition games.

Those not lucky enough to get in will be able to watch selected matchups from the event on Namco Bandai UK's Twitch TV channel.

SoulCalibur V will be released on February 3 in the UK on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.