CAPCOM has gone dissapointingly quiet on Street Fighter 6 since its initial big info-dumps. The trailer for Guile released, and pieces of information have been leaked from people who have played the various early access demos – but as for official information, the well seems to have dried up for the time being.
So, I’ve got my own ideas to propose in the meantime. I’m a huge fan of the series, and while I think what we have seen is genuinely phenomenal (check out my first impressions here) – there are still a few things that could elevate it to a whole new level. In my excitement, I’ve put together three things I want to see Capcom do with the new entry.
1) Represent Lesser Known Characters
We’ve seen some heavy-hitters in the initial reveals for Street Fighter 6, as well as some promising newcomers. Ryu, Chun-Li and Guile are all officially confirmed to be returning from Street Fighter 2 – and some new leaks seem to be hinting at the potential for more characters to be returning from the same game. I get it – it is great to see updated takes on these new characters with new designs, new themes and even new movesets.
However, I am left concerned. Street Fighter has a history of creative fighters who have, over time, become niche fan favorites. Street Fighter III has a selection of wonderful characters that are primed to return – from Dudley, who hasn’t made an appearance since Street Fighter IV, to Sean, Ken’s student who hasn’t returned at all since Street Fighter III. Street Fighter Alpha also has its selection of characters that deserve a bit of recognition. A character I’d personally want to see return is Guy. He’s the main character of the Final Fight beat-em-up series who occasionally cameos in the Street Fighter games. The more ninjas, the better.
2) Continue the Story!
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Who cares about the Street Fighter lore?
The answer is me. I do.
Luckily for me, Capcom seems to as well! Street Fighter 6 has a new campaign mode that seems to have a customisable player character within it, as well as a big fancy hub world. Clearly, there is a story that Capcom wants to tell with this new game. Street Fighter has been in a bit of a canonical rut for a while now. Ever since Street Fighter III, Street Fighter has been doing prequels. Street Fighter IV and V are both set before the events of III – meaning that 6 is the first Street Fighter to really portray new events in the timeline in quite a while.
This gives Capcom a new outlet. There are a lot of hanging threads from Street Fighter V and III that are still unaddressed. What are the Illuminati? What is the deal with Ed and Neo Shadaloo? Chun-Li has a student in SFIII, will they return? What about Kens’ family?! So many questions. I hope that the new story mode actually meaningfully tackles the lingering questions in the Street Fighter canon and also brings some new things forward for the series – no more prequels!
3) Don’t pack it with DLC
This is the most important one. Street Fighter V introduced a problem never before seen to the Street Fighter series: microtransactions and an abundance of DLC. DLC fighters, DLC costumes and DLC alt colors could be bought using in-game currency. The amount of costumes and colors are frankly ridiculous. Things that used to be unlockable or simply pickable from the character selection screen are now locked behind paywalls and in-game currency. It made Street Fighter V feel predatory and corporate – especially considering the poor launch of the game.
DLC fighters have become a staple of modern fighting games, and I’m okay with new fighter releases keeping a game active. However, costume packs and in-game currency have to go. These artificially inflate the cost of the game to exorbitant amounts, even if they don’t technically impact gameplay. Paywalling cosmetic options is nothing new to the modern video game infrastructure, but with all the goodwill Street Fighter 6 had built – I know it can be better than that.
An Exciting Future
It is exciting to be a Street Fighter fan right now. There is so much new content on its way and I am super excited to see where the series is going to go. Capcom is intent on marketing this game as a new, fresh start for the franchise. Every character is getting a redesign. The iconic Street Fighter 2 character themes have been replaced with new, sleek compositions. The street aesthetic is more prominent than ever. Street Fighter 6 isn’t just a new entry – in many ways, it is looking to be a new beginning.
What we have seen so far is so promising – it is easily the game I am most excited for right now. I hope that even one of my wishes can come true for this game but even if they can’t, we’re in for one doozy of a fighting game, that much is for sure.
