Street Fighter 6 is almost here, as the latest chapter in the mainline series will launch this June on PC and console. Since its original reveal, Capcom has been revealing just how different this sequel is from 2016's Street Fighter V, and at the same time, how it has prioritized turning this hard-hitting new chapter in the franchise into what could be the most accessible fighting game of all time.

　　We've gathered up everything that we know about the game so far, including which characters have made the cut, how it shakes up the Street Fighter formula, and when you can expect to lace up your fighting gloves for a digital showdown.

　　

Release date

You won't have too long to wait, as Capcom announced at the 2022 The Game Awards that Street Fighter 6 will release on June 2, 2023.

　　

Platforms

While Street Fighter V was only available on PC and PlayStation, Street Fighter 6 will be popping up on Xbox consoles as well. Officially, you'll be able to grab Street Fighter 6 on PC, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S.

　　

Will there be a Street Fighter 6 demo?

There is and it's available right now on PS5, PS4, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. This demo is more focused on Street Fighter 6's World Tour mode, in which you can take your custom avatar onto the streets and improve them by training under Street Fighter legends. The demo also includes a tutorial mode so that you can master Street Fighter 6's new gameplay mechanics, a one-on-one versus mode between Ryu and Luke, and character guides.

　　

When is the next Street Fighter 6 beta?

After two closed beta tests, Capcom has announced that an open beta will take place from May 19-21. This will feature all of the content from the second closed beta test, including Street Fighter 6's online lobby, customizable characters for this online lobby, and the following characters to try out when you challenge another player to a bout:

　　RyuGuileKenChun-LiJuriLukeJamieKimberly

PC requirements

What is this, Splatoon?Minimum

　　OS: Windows 10CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200Memory: 8GBGPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 580VRAM: 4GB +DirectX 12Storage: 25GBRecommended

　　OS: Windows 10CPU: Intel Core i7 8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600Memory: 16GBGPU: Nvidia GTX 2070 | Radeon RX 5700XTVRAM: 6GB +DirectX 12Storage: 25GB

Roster

Classic fighters returnSince Street Fighter 6 is set in the future of the series--after the events of Street Fighter III--you can expect to see a few familiar faces who survived the events of that game and plenty of new faces. Ryu and Ken are once again back in action, Guile is rocking a more grizzled look, and E. Honda still seeks to make Sumo a household name. New characters in the Street Fighter 6 roster include French supermodel and judoka Manon, drunken fist master Jamie, and Kimberly, a high-speed graffiti artist who packs a serious punch. You can read through the full Street Fighter 6 roster revealed so far, below, with the characters who are making their debut having their names in bold.

　　RyuKenChun-LiBlankaDhalsimE. HondaGuileDee JayJuriLukeJamieJPKimberlyManonMarisa

Will Street Fighter 6 have character DLC?

April's Street Fighter 6 Showcase revealed the first four characters that'll be added to the game after it launches. Street Fighter V's Rashid will arrive first, bringing his powerful moveset of wind-based powers with him, and he'll be followed by a new character in Fall 2023. A.K.I, a mysterious woman with a pale appearance, uses Chinese martial arts and claw-based weaponry to slice opponents to ribbons.

　　Another Street Fighter V face, Ed, makes his return in Winter 2024. The boxer trained by Balrog brings his fast-paced and hard-hitting techniques to SF6, although he's more of an outboxer when compared to his coach's aggressive inboxing style. Lastly, fan-favorite Akuma steps back into the ring, and not too much has changed here. Wielding the dark powers of the Satsui no Hado, Akuma hits hard and decisively, and he'll finish you off with his signature Raging Demon attack if you give him an opening.

　　

Controls

One of the big changes in Street Fighter 6 is a more varied set of controls that players can choose from. If you're confident and prefer an old-school approach, then the Classic control scheme is for you and will allow you to pull off advanced moves using traditional inputs. The Modern Control Type allows for easier inputs where a special move can be performed by combining a special move button with one directional input, essentially streamlining the entire process.

　　For an even easier option, the Dynamic Control Type is an AI-assisted feature that ensures that you'll always use the best move possible depending on your positioning in a level. This will allow you to unleash one-button combos, gap-closing moves from mid-range, and automatic projectiles from long-range. The catch here is that the Dynamic Control Mode is only available in local play, and functions as a way to allow anyone to play Street Fighter 6 regardless of their skill level.

　　

Modes and multiplayer

You got Street Fighter in my Street FighterYou'll be able to engage in all your usual fighting game activities as well as new ones in Street Fighter 6, as Capcom has a few interesting ideas for creating a global fighting game community. Fighting Ground contains traditional modes such as arcade, online, local versus, and a training dojo, while World Tour is the big draw. This is an open world where your custom avatar can explore Metro City and learn how to become a world warrior by interacting with Ryu, Chun-Li, and Blanka.

　　Battle Hub resembles a gigantic arcade, and it's where you'll interact with other players. If you're not challenging other people in the room, you can organize a competition or sit down and watch a tournament play out. This space can fit up to 100 people, so there's a good chance that someone online will be looking for a friendly fight.

　　

Are there any notable tournament rule changes coming to Street Fighter 6?

Capcom has made a major change to the use of leverless controllers in its Pro Tour tournaments, as the developer says that if a player inputs up and down directions at the same time, then both inputs must either be maintained or rejected. In a nutshell, this has a significant impact on these controversial controllers, especially the ones manufactured by Hitbox, which give players a sizable advantage in matches and allow them to perform certain moves more quickly than competing players who use standard fightsticks or controllers.

　　

Will Street Fighter 6 have rollback netcode for online?

One of the biggest advancements in fighting games over recent years has been the implementation of rollback netcode, a system which makes online fighting games feel as if they're happening in the same room due to there being barely any lag between inputs. For Street Fighter 6, Capcom has rebuilt its rollback netcode from scratch, and as seen in the recent beta, it's a huge leap forward when compared to Street Fighter V's heavily criticized adoption of that technology.

　　

Official cover art

Street Fighter 6 box artStreet Fighter 6's official game cover is, just like the game, very visually loud and features Luke's most punch-worthy face to date.

　　

Gameplay

Street Fighter games have slowly iterated on a system of meters that can enhance attacks and open up new windows of opportunities, and for Street Fighter 6, there'll be an all-new Drive System to play with. In short, this is a system of five special moves, and includes Drive Impact, Drive Parry, Drive Rush, Drive Reversal, and an Overdrive Art to master. Once mastered, the Drive System allows you to absorb attacks, close gaps, counter-attack when trapped in a corner, and repel any blows thrown at you, based on how much of your meter you have available to work with.

　　The Drive gauge has six bars to work with, and you'll spend one bar per Drive action. Running out of meter will place you in a Burnout mode and leave you vulnerable to punishing offense until your energy is restored. Even if you block, you'll still take chip damage in this state and you'll want to stay on the offensive as this will help refill your Drive Gauge more quickly.

　　

In-game commentary

In what has to be a first for fighting games, Street Fighter 6 features real-time commentary from some of the biggest names in the fighting game community. Jeremy "Vicious" Lopez and Tasty Steve are two shoutcasters who have recorded lines for Street Fighter 6, and the dialogue is designed to provide easy-to-understand explanations about gameplay so that rookie fighters can get a better grasp on the systems of the game.

　　This feature will support subtitles in 13 languages for more accessibility, and Capcom says that more details will be revealed in future updates.

　　

DLC/Microtransaction details

So far, Capcom is advertising a Year One Pass that will unlock four DLC characters when they're added to the game. This season pass can be purchased separately, or alternatively, it'll be included in the deluxe and ultimate edition versions of the game. For the in-game currency, players will be able to buy Drive Tickets that can be used to purchase cosmetics, as Street Fighter 6 will have various alternative costumes to acquire and dress your favorite characters up in.

　　

Preorder details

For more details on what you can expect from each version of the game, you can check out GameSpot's Street Fighter 6 preorder roundup. The standard edition on every platform will cost you $60, while the top-tier $105 ultimate edition includes the base game, DLC, Drive Tickets, the Year One pass, and additional costumes.

　　Darryn Bonthuys on Google+