Street Fighter 6: How to Cancel

This article is part of a directory: Street Fighter 6: Complete Guide & Walkthrough

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Since 1997, canceling has been an integral part of Street Fighter's combat mechanics, and seasoned players have been using it to execute quicker combos. But with the new Drive System and revamped move lists, canceling has gone through some changes that might confuse players. It is now possible to cancel normal and Special strikes into Drive Rush and Impact and combine them with Super Arts for unique finishers.

Additionally, input responses have been improved, making it easier to perform cancels. This guide, therefore, simplifies the new mechanics and explains how to execute the most effective cancels with all characters.

The Canceling Mechanic Explained

image showing the street fighter 6 canceling tutorials.

Canceling in Street Fighter 6 refers to shortening a normal or Special Move to merge it with a Super Art or Drive. This technique is achieved by combining two attacks that share similar inputs or by inputting multiple moves quickly.

Canceling moves in SF6 is necessary to counteract the recovery time that follows each strike and to allow for combinations that would otherwise be impossible.

How to Cancel Normal Moves into Special Moves

image showing how to cancel in street fighter 6.

To execute Special Moves immediately after a normal attack, input the commands for the Special Move right when the normal attack lands. This will cancel the first input’s recovery, enabling combos with typically incompatible moves. For example, Luke’s heavy punch can be canceled into his Sand Blast Special for a two-hitter combo.

Normal to Special cancel is ideal for starting combos, but it’s punishable. When parried, the resulting block stun will be longer, giving the counterattack advantage to the opponent.

How to Cancel Special Moves into Super Arts

To cancel a Special Move, players will need to match it with a Super Art that starts with the same inputs. As the combo inputs are carried over, the initial half of the Special Move input contributes to the subsequent Super Art, resulting in a speedy canceled combo.

If a character's Special Move starts with a quarter-circle forward and their Super Art starts with a double quarter-circle forward, players can combine them by doing two quarter-circle forwards in total. This will cancel the latter move into the former and remove the recovery gap.

How to Cancel into Drives

image showing a street fighter 6 match with the new drive system.

Normal and Special Moves can be canceled into Drive Rush and Drive Impact. For that, players must forward dash (double-tap the forward button) or use Drive Impact (LB/L1) just as their strike hits the opponent. When using Drive Rush cancels, the following moves are buffed by 4 frames, whereas Drive Impact cancels allows for better combo preparation.