Fighting games like EVO 2022 had many fighting game announcements, including some for Street Fighter 6, its latest appearance at TGS offered the public and even more in-depth look and what will be coming with its complete package.
Street Fighter has had plenty of its own ups and downs over its last two iterations. Despite the age and continual popularity of the franchise, changes and updates to the formula don't always sit well with the game's existing fanbase. Coupled with the difficult decisions around how exactly to take a series forward, and whether to cater toward a more casual or more competitive crowd, it's not been a straightforward road ahead for fighting games of the last decade.
But while there are some fans who would rather see a Capcom vs. SNK 3 than Street Fighter 6, the energy of the coming release is building, and Capcom seems to be looking to make waves. With a bevy of new options that look to keep the final release of the game chock-full of content for a wider array of fans, Street Fighter 6 seems poised to make a significant mark on the fighting game landscape.
Street Fighter 6 Is Set To Offer More Options To More Players
The foundation of the competitive vs. casual argument usually boils down to uncertainty around how close to cling to tradition. For the more hardcore crowd, balance and functionality trump all else. For a wider audience, things like challenge modes, unlockable characters and cosmetics, and a good story mode can make a fighting game a far more engrossing experience on the whole. Street Fighter 6 seems to be paying close attention with its release, as its World Tour mode alone looks to provide something, much like the Krypt in Mortal Kombat games, to keep players coming back over a longer period of time. It will have an explorable city for players to physically traverse as they take on combatants and learn from various "masters", even to the point of being able to use learned moves to reach new places. Additionally, the main Fighting Ground mode will allow for a bevy of customizable options that should make playing with friends and in more low-key, casual matches a lot more fun.
While these things won't necessarily add a ton of value for hardcore players who care about little beyond Street Fighter 6's biggest character and mechanical differences, it's ultimately a huge boon for all fans, as increased reach to new audiences will potentially keep online player pools higher, will keep the franchise in the cultural zeitgeist, and will lead to more people getting interested in the game's competitive scene - even if only to watch it from a distance. If Street Fighter has sometimes been guilty in the past of sticking too much to tradition and catering too much to a hardcore crowd, it looks like Street Fighter 6 could break that trend. If so, the whole genre may ultimately benefit as a result.
Source: Capcom/YouTube
