Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
It’s Tokyo Games Show time, and Capcom came out the gate with some more details about its highly-anticipated fighter Street Fighter 6.
Fresh off both Nintendo and PlayStation live stream events, Capcom was first up with some announcements at TGS. Since the significant reveal back in June, Capcom has been steadily dropping details about Street Fighter 6. With each report, we learn what fighters we will be handing out virtual fades with and more about the new modes coming to the game, today’s announcement keeps that energy.
First, this should come as a surprise, but Ken, Blanka, E. Honda, and Dhalsim will be returning in Street Fighter 6. Here is a breakdown of each character via PlayStation’s blog.
Ken Masters & His Dragon Punch Returns In Street Fighter 6
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
We know the community has been waiting for this one (yes, we’ve seen the memes). Ken Masters is a former US National Fighting Champion and ex-VP of the Masters Foundation. Accusations of orchestrating a criminal plot have forced Ken to abandon his family and business to go into hiding.
As a legend in the Street Fighter series, Ken’s core move set remains similar to his previous iterations. Hadoken, Shoryuken, and Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku? Check, check, and check. His Dragonlash Kick and Sprint from Street Fighter V are also now special moves rather than V-Skills. New to Ken is the Jinrai Kick, a forward-moving roundhouse kick that can be followed up with three different options to reflect Ken’s quest to clear his name.
E. Honda & His Deadly Hundred-Hand Slap Is Back In Street Fighter 6
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
A sumo wrestler looking to bring the sport to a worldwide audience, E. Honda has the skills of a Yokozuna, but his constant globetrotting has prevented his promotion to the rank. He’s also an expert chef renowned for his mouthwatering chanko stew.
Much like the previous three World Warriors, E. Honda fans will feel right at home with his move set. His trademark Hundred Hand Slap, Sumo Headbutt, Sumo Smash, and Oicho Throw return. His two V-Skills from Street Fighter V, Neko Damashi and Sumo Spirit, are now special moves. E. Honda’s new move is Sumo Dash, where he moves forward with a traditional sumo shuffle and can be followed up with more pressure or a launcher.
Dhalsim
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
Dhalsim is a monk and yoga master who has served as a guide for countless suffering souls. He prefers to avoid conflict when possible, but his innate hatred of evil compels him to dispense stern justice. The elephants return in the Dhalsimer Temple stage where monks study yoga amongst the candles in a peaceful setting.
Dhalsim channels his familiar fire techniques from past games but has also mastered alternate ways to release the flames to cover all angles. His Yoga Fire travels horizontally again, Yoga Arch fires the ball of flame in a similar arc trajectory like in Street Fighter V, and Yoga Comet is fired at a downward angle when Dhalsim is in the air. Yoga Flame is back as Dhalsim blows a large ball of flames in front of him while Yoga Blast blows at an upwards angle as a good anti-air counter. Additionally, Dhalsim can still teleport and float his worries away.
Blanka
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
A kindhearted defender of nature, Blanka has become an adventure tour guide, confident his intimate knowledge of the jungle will serve as a springboard to fame—and a comfortable life for his beloved mother. You can visit Blanka’s tour in his Ranger’s Hut stage by the river where village life is set on a lush green backdrop.
Blanka wouldn’t be the wholesome beast he is without his usual Electric Thunder and various Rolling Attacks. But his time trying to sell Blanka-chan dolls in Street Fighter V has altered his move set due to the surplus of the adorable plushies. He can now use Blanka-chan Bomb to toss a doll to the ground. When Blanka touches it with an electrical special move, the cute little thing will run towards the opponent in a mad rage and explode.
Things Get A Bit Extreme
Fight Ground, Capcom’s new name for the regular versus battle mode, gets an update with “Extreme Battle.” Each battle will have a “Rule” and a “Gimmick.” A “Rule” is broken down into a condition that must be met to win the match, like earning five knockdowns. While a “Gimmick” is an extreme condition, like a raging bull charging across the stage, dealing damage to anyone who fails to jump over it.
World Tour Mode
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
Outside of Street Fighter 6’s updated look, World Tour, which Capcom describes as an “immersive single-player story mode that would push the boundaries of what a fighting game is,” was the most significant announcement.
Now we have even more details about it. Your custom avatar’s journey will begin at Buckler Security, located in Metro City. There you will be trained by Luke, a new character in the world of Street Fighter, and will be able to customize your avatar’s look fully.
“World tour offers the most robust Avatar Creation features that stretch the limit of what a character creation tool can do,” Capcom senior manager of social media and community Andy Wong writes. “There are tons of customization options to reflect your personal style and flair. That avatar creation menu contains several pages of options you can tweak.”
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
You will earn new gear for your avatar from shops or progress through the story mode. Let’s hope it’s nothing like the grinding you endured in Street Fighter V.
Meet Your Masters In Street Fighter 6’s World Tour Mode
Luke won’t just be your tutor; he will also be your tour guide as you traverse around Metro City, where you will eventually meet “Masters.”
Wong adds, “As you progress through the story, you’ll meet Masters who will take you under their wing and teach you their style and attacks. As your bond with them grows stronger, you can also learn Master Actions from their repertoires, like a Shoryuken from Ryu and a Spinning Bird Kick from Chun-Li.”
“Use them to open a battle, and you’ll kick things off with an advantage, or some of them can even be used to destroy wooden boxes and barrels or leap to faraway platforms. Master Actions, while convenient, do consume Drive Gauge, so always keep an eye on how much you have left in the tank,” he concluded.
Put Your Avatar To The Test At The Battle Hub
Source: Capcom / Street Fighter 6
The Battle Hub will be the core experience where you can test your avatar’s skills as you level them up.
“One Battle Hub can host up to 100 players at the same time,” Wong continues. “Players can use emotes or chat to communicate with each other. Of course, make sure you check the Hub Good Shop to show off your fashion when you’re out on the floor. There are a host of Arcade Cabinets that you will find in the Battle Hub. Take part in arcade-like Battle Hub matches on cabinets that are placed back-to-back. A match will begin when two players sit on both sides. Having audiences change everything…and turns a mere fight into a thrilling spectacle. Spectate a Battle Hub Match, and bear witness to glory.”
You can also play your favorite Capcom games like Street Fighter II and Final Fight in arcade cabinets, visit the Event Counter to find out when tournaments begin and even set your playlist at the DJ Booth.
Capcom will not repeat the same mistakes it made with Street Fighter V’s broken launch. The game will arrive exclusively on the PS5 in 2023.
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Photo: Capcom / Street Fighter 6