Capcom came out in force during yesterday's State of Play conference with the first detailed look at Street Fighter 6 -- and this upcoming fighter looks like a game changer.
The developer outlined the different gameplay modes in the upcoming title, and existing Street Fighter fans will find some familiar sights. Arcade Mode, Training Mode, local versus battles, and online matches are all making a comeback, and a Battle Hub was also confirmed. But what caught the eye most is Street Fighter 6's free roaming story mode, World Tour.
State of Play also offered a fresh look at Street Fighter 6's roster. Capcom's mostly keeping that card close to its chest, having focused mainly on Luke and Ryu during the initial reveal. Still, this trailer revealed a slightly older Chun-Li, alongside newcomers Jamie and Kimberly. You can watch them in action below:
Finally, we also learned more about Street Fighter 6's release plans. Confirming a vague 2023 release window, we now know Capcom's upcoming fighter will launch for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It's coming to PS4 too, though curiously, Capcom's said nothing about an Xbox One edition.
A fresh start
These days, Street Fighter 5 presents a pretty comprehensive package, but it didn't have the smoothest launch back in 2016. Lauded for its gameplay and graphics, the initial release was widely criticized as an incomplete experience, lacking in single player content and characters. Producer Yoshinori Ono even admitted "we all know that we didn’t put out a complete product."
Things are different in 2022, though post-launch support has officially ended. After five seasons of DLC content, the last of which introduced Luke, Capcom's last-gen fighter certainly feels complete. Admittedly, Street Fighter 5 never truly grabbed me; I can appreciate the story mode, but you never did much beyond watching cut-scenes and fighting in-between.
World Tour immediately caught my eye, however. Capcom is promising it'll push "the boundaries of what a fighting game is" and allow players "to leave their own legacy with their player avatar." Frankly, it looks like nothing we've seen before in Capcom's iconic series. If Street Fighter 6 pulls this off, it could make for a revolutionary next step.
