Continuing with its previous promise of a summer revelation, Capcom joined PlayStation during today’s game state to share more images of the upcoming Street Fighter 6.
The list of Street Fighter 6 expands with the addition of Chun-Li and newcomer Jamie, who seems to use some sort of drunken fighting style. The game will also feature two different modes, one focused on the one-on-one fight you would expect from a Street Fighter game and another an “immersive” story for a player that apparently allows you to roam an open world in search of battles.
Capcom first unveiled Street Fighter 6 in February with a cinematography showing the game’s new aesthetic direction. At the time, the only fighters confirmed for his roster were the Ryu and Luke series poster, an annoying idiot who was introduced late into the life of Street Fighter V who is said to be the future of the franchise. (gag). Reactions were mixed, with many staring at the terrible logo (which has apparently been updated) and the fact that Ryu’s great bulge could be seen through his gi.
Street Fighter 6 was leaked late last year as part of an internal launch program made public by Capcom’s ransomware hacking. The leaked corporate document indicated that the game would be released sometime in the third quarter of 2022 (October-December 2022), with Super and Ultra updates scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023 (January-March 2024) and the fourth quarter of 2024 (January-March 2025), respectively. (Obviously, no information was provided about these planned expansions during today’s disclosure.)
The long-running Street Fighter franchise has served as the developer’s flagship fighting game for over 30 years. It first debuted in 1987, changed the genre (and recreational games!) Forever with Street Fighter II in 1991. However, the series has definitely had its ups and downs in its large number of sequels and revisions.
Following the release of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike in 1999, Capcom put the franchise on the bench for nearly a decade. It seemed that the developer had completely fallen in love with the series until it renewed its votes with Street Fighter IV in 2008, which also generated several updates and finally led to the release of the more sports-focused Street Fighter V in 2016.
It was certainly not the best show in the series, but the longevity of Street Fighter V allowed the developers to get it off the brink of disaster and turn it into a very competent fighting game, all things considered.
The franchise may not be as dominant as it used to be, but Street Fighter’s status as a household name is undeniable. And while Capcom’s control over the series has been unstable, there have also been brief bursts of brilliance, especially since the departure of Street Fighter IV producer and former Capcom executive Yoshinori Ono.
With a new team behind the wheel, anything is possible for Street Fighter, and as they have been doing for a long time, I can’t wait to see what the updated developers have in store for Street Fighter 6 despite these early introductions.