"JOSIE Rizal," the first Filipina character in the latest installment of Tekken series, received mixed reactions from Filipino gamers.
The character, wearing a red headband, yellow dress and a blue skirt, who was named after the Philippines' national hero, Jose Rizal, specializes in Filipino martial art eskrima and kickboxing.
Mad Catz community manager Mark "MarkMan" Julio, who has a Filipino blood, helped the creators and staff of Bandai Namco Games for the creation of Josie in "Tekken 7."
Julio said the character is a tribute to the heroism of Dr. Rizal, who fought to oust the Spanish colonial government through his writings.
Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken project head, said in a report of eventhubs.com that Julio told him about Filipino culture and offered advice that shaped many of the character's traits, including Josie's name.
Josie Rizal will be joined by two other Tekken 7 characters: Jin Kasama and Devil Jin.
Originally set for release in May, no final word yet from the game developer as to the playable debut of Josie Rizal.
#JosieRizal has become a trending topic on Twitter on Monday.
(Sunnex)