Following the new trailer reveal for Street Fighter 6 at the June PlayStation State of Play presentation, fans have begun parsing every frame for details about the Capcom fighting game. While the game has been slated with an unspecified 2023 release date, plenty of details about the latest iteration of the popular fighting game are bound to seep out in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, after culling as many facts as possible via fan sites and Capcom's own Street Fighter 6 website, details about the playable characters, game mechanics, story modes, control types, drive moves, commentary assistance, and much more have come into sharp focus.
Fighters
While there have been at least 22 confirmed playable characters in leaked concept art for Street Fighter 6, only four have been revealed in the newest Capcom trailer. They include Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, and a new character from Hong Kong named Jamie, said to be proficient in a drunken dance martial arts style.
While Capcom unveiled just four characters in the trailer, at least 15 return characters will be ed by seven new fighters. In addition to Jamie, the newcomers include A.K.I. (China), JP (Russia), Kimberly (USA) Lili (Mexico), Marisa (Italy), and Mimi ().
RE Engine
The next major thing gamers should know relates to Street Fighter 6's new gaming engine. Named after Capcom's beloved Devil May Cry 5 and Monster Hunter Rise.
Thanks to the upgrades made to the RE engine from its MT Framework predecessor, much smoother and more realistic graphics allow for a much more visceral and dynamic style of fighting, marking a major evolution from some of the more cartoonish entries in the all-time beloved Capcom gaming franchise.
World Tour
In addition to the tried and true Fighting Ground gaming mode that most players are used to, Street Fighter 6 will introduce a new World Tour story mode option. The World Tour is an open-world, single-player story mode that allows players to immerse themselves in the streets of the fictional Metro City, forge their own path, engage with various locals, and enjoy a whole new Street Fighter experience.
The exciting new narrative-driven story mode marks a major shift in Street Fighter, giving the game a distinct Street Fighter's most powerful characters when playing in World Tour mode.
Battle Hub
If World Tour mode proves to be too experimental for a Street Fighter game, players can always try out the newfangled Battle Hub instead. With more of an emphasis on social interaction and connectivity, Battle Hub allows players to forge fierce and friendly rivalries alike through online gameplay.
With more details to come regarding the intricacies of the Battle Hub, fans should rest assured that the recognizable Fighting Ground mode will also include options from past games in the franchise such as Arcade Mode, Training Mode, and Local-Versus Mode, as well as Online Matches.
Drive Moves
In addition to the more realistic RE Engine, players can expect major changes to the core fighting mechanics in the new entry of the mega-popular fighting game via the new Drive Gauge System. During a battle, a Drive Gauge meter will appear onscreen and replenish itself based on the success of a fighter. However, if depleted due to poor results in the fighting arena, the new offensive and defensive-based Drive Moves will be unavailable to use and have to be built back up.
Depending on a fighter's strengths, there are five different Drive Moves options offered in the game. They include the powerfully striking Drive Impact, the attack-repelling Drive Parry, the special movie-wielding Overdrive Art, the well-balanced Drive Rush, and the counterattacking Drive Reversal. These new moves are meant to foster more creativity and freedom among the fighters in the game.
Modern Vs. Classic Controls
Another gameplay measure fans can expect to see in Street Fighter 6 is the player controls, which are divided into Classic and Modern options, and essentially function as manual versus automatic. The Classic Control layout will adhere to the recognizable six-button control layout (for PS), forcing players to memorize the controls to mount vicious combo attacks. Almost every Street Fighter player will be familiar with the Classic Controls.
In contrast, the Modern Controls will allow players to fight freely without having to memorize all the complex fighting combinations. Rather, Modern Controls enable players to perform special attacks with simple button combinations, likely meant for novices without much experience.
Real-Time Commentary Assistance
One more tidbit fans should know about is the addition of real-time assistant commentary to help walk players through in-game matches as well as the most difficult parts of the World Tour game mode. Official Capcom commentators located on the World Tour will not only provide key advice and gameplay intel, but they will also offer livelier commentary the longer a hotly contested fight goes on.
According to the official website, two commentators have been confirmed so far, including Aru who will provide Japanese commentary, and Jeremy "Vicious" Lopez, who will provide the English commentary. More commentators are expected to be announced in the future.
Various Consoles
Unlike Street Fighter V, Capcom confirmed that Street Fighter 6 will not be limited to an exclusive PlayStation release. Instead, when the game hits the market in 2023, fans can play it on PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S. This means that, while the game is available for CrossGen on PlayStation, the option is not available for Xbox.
By expanding the console availability of the game while also overhauling its gameplay engine, control options, drive system, and the like, Capcom is pushing Street Fighter 6 to new frontiers most fight games rarely ever do.
Emphasis On Street Culture & Improved Graphics
One last thing fans ought to note is the emphasis on vastly improved graphics as a way to sell the immersion of street culture. The sensorial sights and sounds of Metro City are meant to be a lively celebration of art, music, culture, and how the surroundings inform the characters, their story arcs, and eventual fighting styles.
According to the game's official website, "from the graffiti to the music that beats while you hustle, and to the fight itself, you'll also experience a new graphical quality that'll really let you feel the dynamics of your body. It's like a rhythm and dance that doesn't stop." One thing is for sure, Street Fighter 6 is headed in daring new directions that reiterate the long-running innovation and evolution of the beloved fighting game.
