It really hurts having to wait and see which characters get added in the game leading up to it's launch. Especially those that have to wait days before the launch of the game.
Me personally, I think I am safe considering my main has been in every entry from SoulCalibur onward, but for players that main characters like Talim, Setsuka or Zas, it really sucks.
I wouldn't skip SoulCalibur VI if they didn't include my main character, although I would certainly be bitter about it. I have met a few people that either stuck to IV or abandoned the franchise entirely due to an absence of their character in V.
These days it seems like all these businesses do is tease us with stupid hints and teasers with ridiculous images. " Here is a picture of a character's left toe and the tip of their weapon. Watch as these poor guys scour the internet for character models to compare toes and weapon tips hahaha. "
Call me crazy, but I like to know what I am buying. I know I am deviating from what you said, but I really dislike how they push people to preorder games when we don't even know what they include. I would LOVE to know which characters are going to be in the game up front. Save the surprises for DLC.