It's often said that the best defense is a good offense, and while there's certainly some wisdom to these words, that's not to say that the former can be overlooked entirely in fighting games. This is definitely the case when it comes to Street Fighter 6, a game in which players will need to learn how to block, counter, and parry in order to stand a chance against some of the game's more talented fighters.
The good news is that learning how to block in Street Fighter 6 is relatively simple regardless of which control scheme players end up using. Figuring out the timings can be a little tricky, but as with most things in life, this will usually come with a bit of practice. Players can head to the Fighting Grounds to hone their defensive skills, or, alternatively, check out this guide on blocking and countering in Street Fighter 6.
How to Block in Street Fighter 6
In order to block in Street Fighter 6, players will simply need to hold the left analog stick in the opposite direction to their opponent. It's worth noting, though, that this will only defend against upper-body attacks, so players will also need to master crouching blocks. These are pretty similar to regular blocks and are performed by holding the left analog stick diagonally down and away from the direction of the incoming attack.
How to Escape Throws in Street Fighter 6
There are a few different ways to escape throws in Street Fighter 6, the simplest of which is to perform a throw escape. To do so, players will need to press Square and X (PlayStation) or X and A (Xbox) immediately after the other fighter attempts to initiate a throw. They'll only have a short window of time in which to do this, though, so will need to pay close attention to when the other fighter is attempting to pull off a grab move. Alternatively, players can perform a counter, but the timing will once again be tight.
How to Block Drive Impacts
Drive Impacts are a lot more powerful than regular attacks and are thus able to break through regular blocks. As a result, the best way to deal with them is with a Drive Parry, which is performed by pressing R1 (PlayStation) or RB (Xbox) while playing Street Fighter 6 with the Modern control type or by holding down Triangle and Circle (PlayStation) or Y and B (Xbox) while playing on Classic. As with regular blocks, performing a Drive Parry leaves players vulnerable to throws. There's also a limit on how frequently players can use Drive Parries, so they'll need to be employed strategically rather than just spammed.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.