Why Namco Bandai Picked Ezio For Soulcalibur V

Seeing Ezio revealed as the guest character during a Soulcalibur V event earlier this week was a surprise. While Ezio fits into the world better than characters with lightsabers, Namco Bandai has not worked with Ubisoft before. They could have pulled in a Capcom character maybe even a hero from Dark Souls since they’re working closely with From Software. Why Ezio and why Ubisoft?

"One of the key focuses of our business when I joined the company is how do we Westernize our portfolio and make it broader," Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, said to Siliconera. "We wanted to bring in a character that works in the Western world. When you look at where Ubisoft is, especially with Ezio, it brings us in the Western market and gets everyone excited about the game."

"More importantly, the fighting style is so unique it’s a perfect fit in the Soulcalibur world, which is why we went to seek out Ubisoft," Choi added. "We have an opportunity to expand in the Western market, vice-versa for them they can get their character in the Eastern market. For both of us, it’s a win-win situation."

Ezio is a multi-weapon character. He has a Roman longsword, crossbow, stiletto, a concealed gun, and his hidden blade.