Street Fighter fans have been waiting for a new installment for several years now, and Capcom is finally ready to deliver. First teased at the end of February, Street Fighter 6 was finally unveiled in full during the June 2022 State of Play. This title is set after Street Fighter 5 and 3 chronologically and shows the classic World Warriors at their oldest and strongest. With a third-person World Tour mode and a new Drive System to augment gameplay, Street Fighter 6 holds a massive amount of promise for the casual market and veteran fans alike.
Fortunately for everyone, it didn't take long for Capcom to reveal more. After a roster leak and a bit of footage slipped out, another trailer opened the Summer Game Fest 2022 kickoff. This one featured Guile and introduced players to the American military man's new look and abilities. Street Fighter 6 looks very impressive, and the paint splatters that accompany the Drive System and other elements visually differentiate it from prior Street Fighter’s. The combination of the new trailer, PlayStation Blog information, and hands-on impressions at Summer Game Fest Play Days have left fans with a lot to chew on, even if all of it is subject to change right now.
Street Fighter 6 Shows Its Take on Guile
The first things players will notice in the new trailer are Guile himself and his stage. It's apparent that the arena is based on Guile's classic Street Fighter 2 Air Force Base, although this version takes place on an anchored aircraft carrier. Guile himself is wearing a blue pilot jumpsuit, one of the most direct references to his specific job the franchise has seen. His classic green and yellow colors are still present when he lands a Drive Impact or Drive Reversal, and Guile’s realistic face has eyebrows for the first time in Street Fighter’s history. A few of Guile's V-System abilities from Street Fighter 5 have been worked into his basic moveset. Guile's V-Skill 1, Sonic Blade, and Guile's V-Trigger 1, Solid Puncher, have returned as a special and level 2 Super Art respectively.
That last point deserves elaboration, as Street Fighter 6's super meter works differently than past SF games. Fighters can build three stocks of super meter, corresponding to three different Super Arts. This was hinted at on the SF6 website, but Guile’s Playstation Blog post elaborates that each successive super costs an additional bar of meter, with the level 3 super Crossfire Somersault functioning as a highly-damaging cinematic assault. The other two supers have increased utility value, with Guile's Sonic Hurricane placing a blast either in front of him or diagonally above him, and the Solid Puncher acting as a temporary super mode where Guile throws Sonic Booms without charge inputs. With move lists trickling out, it seems like other characters’ supers follow a similar pattern.
More of Street Fighter 6's Systems Have Been Shown Off
It's good to see more utility added to the supers, as the super meter no longer factors into EX Specials like in other Street Fighter's. They are now known as Overdrives and summon the standard yellow EX aura. Other Drive System features include a Drive Rush-cancel from a normal, which offers a speedy way to convert stray hits into combos or safe block strings. Canceling out of a normal instead of a parry is costly, but could be worth it for aggressive players. Two Focus Attack-like Drive Impacts collide, and it's made clear that a second Impact used on reaction will always beat the first. Drive Rush and Drive Impact demonstrate how the Drive System can facilitate different playstyles, allowing for offensive and defensive players to use visually distinct strategies.
A Perfect Parry is seen next, and it offers a potential momentum shift if timed right. There are several frames on start-up where the weaker Drive Parry is replaced by a stronger version, denoted by a slight purple aura. With that said, the gameplay speed of SF6’s trailers is constantly changing for cinematic emphasis, so Summer Game Fest Play Days footage should be studied for more accurate frame data. Street Fighter 6 is looking great right now, and there may be even more information during the Capcom showcase 2022 on June 13th. After an entire console generation spent with Street Fighter 5, it’s nice to have a fresh start.
Street Fighter 6 will be released in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.