Street Fighter 6’s showcase revealed a massive amount about the upcoming game, including a demo available right now for some players.
On February 21, 2022, Street Fighter 6 was announced following a weeklong Capcom Countdown, and it teased the return of both Ryu and Luke (although Luke did become the final DLC in Street Fighter 5). Later in 2022, in PlayStation’s June State of Play, we witnessed a gameplay trailer for the title which confirmed some of the game’s features, including some new characters and more returning ones too. Fast forward to April 20, 2023, when we finally got to witness the Street Fighter 6 showcase – just over a month before the game’s highly anticipated release.
World Tour
One of the first things we saw in the showcase is the World Tour feature of the new title, which plays as the single-player story mode. This mode sees the player begin as an apprentice to Luke, before taking on the world of Street Fighter 6’s fighter roster. Players will enrol under each so-called “Master” as they travel around the world, learning their special moves and levelling up as they do so. Players will also be able to earn and increase their bond with each Master via missions and gifts – which all combine to unlock more of the story as you continue to progress. There are countless enemies found on the streets as you progress through your story and some interesting moves which can help you get the edge or avoid the battles too.
Battle Hub
The thrill of player versus player (PVP) combat is what attracts many to the Street Fighter games, and this iteration has it in droves. The Battle Hub will allow players to string together move-sets from multiple fighters and utilise them to cause chaos against opponents – who could also have similar move-sets. The only limit in the Avatar Battle feature is that of how many moves you can equip on a character – so essentially your imagination can run wild. There is also a new club feature which allows you to create a “club” with other like-minded players – although this feature has not really been expanded on much and it seems to merely be a way to join friends or meet new people.
Fighting Ground
The innovation coming to fighting ground is quite impressive, albeit only available in offline modes. The first and foremost is that of character damage which is now visible, with characters now showing visible signs of being hit and moving around the environment. While this adds a realistic feel to the game, it can be toggled off for those that do not want it. There are also big changes to the game in the form of accessibility, with sound enhancements that will allow players to determine the height of attacks, how far their opponent is, and many other aspects too.
Alongside this will also be better tutorials and character guides to assist those who are new to the Street Fighter franchise and want to have in-depth ways to trail with new characters or increase their own skills. Game modes which help with timings, and single button combinations are also available which can assist even the best of players.
The demo
Towards the end of the showcase, Capcom confirmed a demo version of Street Fighter 6, which allows players to try out the game in its early time. From creating an avatar to taking on the first instances of World Tour, players will be able to jump in right now – if they own a Playstation. For players on PC and Xbox, the demo opens up on April 26.
All-in-all, Street Fighter 6 is lining up to be one of the biggest releases of 2023, with Capcom putting in some serious work for this title. The first year will already see four new fighters joining the roster, with A.K.I, Rashid, Ed, and Akuma all on the cards after release. Each of these characters will have their own World Tour story where you can learn their moves and train under them. Street Fighter 6 is set to release on June 2, 2023, with different editions available now for pre-order.
