Street Fighter 6 is still going strong after solidifying its reputation via consistent updates in a revitalized competitive scene, and the success of recent collaborations between Capcom and SNK. With Virtua Fighter 6's franchise return now having been announced at The Game Awards 2024, Sega has an opportunity to elevate its own flagship fighting game to a similar status. Although the release of VF6 is likely some time away, its existence already presents an exciting chance to crossover with Street Fighter 6 in a groundbreaking union between subgenres.
Fatal Fury's Mai Shiranui joining Street Fighter 6 in early 2025 after Terry before her serves as the latest example of the ongoing work between two companies that were once rivals in the days of arcades. With Ken and Chun-Li set to appear in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves in a mirrored effort, there seems to be a practically unprecedented cooperative attitude at Capcom. If Virtua Fighter 6 can be treated with similar regard for its characters, the same treatment in SF6 would only further cement the success of the decade's fighting game revival.
What to Expect From Street Fighter 6's Mai
Now that her appearance in Street Fighter 6 has been fully unveiled, Mai Shiranui appears ready to keep up the game's Fatal Fury energy.
A Collaboration Between Street Fighter 6 and Virtua Fighter 6 Could Go Both Ways
The Potential for Interplay Within a Shared New Era
Both SF6 and VF6 represent new directions for their respective series, at the very least on an undeniable aesthetic level. Akira Yuki's appearance in the Virtua Fighter 6 reveal trailer hints at the passage of time necessitating a revamped take on his world, while SF fans have already grown accustomed to a more mature Ryu and the likes of fresh faces such as Luke or Kimberly. This parallel could make the two titles natural fits for exchanging guest characters, as both of their old and new guards would probably have similar importance.
Capcom's Admirable Support for Rising Contemporaries
SNK and Sega obviously aren't small or new companies, but their flagship fighting game franchises don't share the mainstream recognition of Street Fighter. The recent FF collaboration in SF6 has boosted that series' profile ahead of CotW's release, and the same marketing benefit could easily apply to VF. Although Virtua Fighter 5's numerous rereleases have kept its name alive in a more niche capacity, the massive audience that Capcom has maintained could yield a far greater degree of interest.
How a Crossover with Virtua Fighter Could Make Up for One Area of Disappointment Among Street Fighter Fans
Bridging the Gap Between 2D and 3D Fighting Games Instead of Tekken X Street Fighter
It would take a more dramatic transition to bring a member of Virtua Fighter's cast into the 2D environment of SF, but this would also establish a relationship that gives hope to a lost concept that once held major hype. On top of being unexpected in the wake of the official cancellation of Tekken X Street Fighter, another guest character trade leading to a character like Ryu or Luke in 3D would be a groundbreaking callback to the days of Street Fighter EX. If VF's roster can resonate in the stylized art style of Capcom, then translating the likes of Guile into a highly realistic aesthetic could elevate the status of 3D fighters far beyond the monolith of Tekken.
There's an inherent risk of diluting the identity of either franchise when it comes to challenging their core mechanics through guests, but examples like Geese Howard and Akuma in Tekken 7 show that these bold collaborations tend to have a net positive impact within the genre. If their gameplay can be designed with respect to their origins and the balance of Street Fighter 6's meta alike, then Virtua Fighter characters making it into the game could honor the rich legacies of both names for years to come.
Street Fighter 6
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
WHERE TO PLAY
Play legendary masters and new fan favorites like Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, Jamie, Kimberly and more in this latest edition with each character featuring striking new redesigns and exhilarating cinematic specials.
Dominate the Fighting Ground: Street Fighter 6 offers a highly evolved combat system with three control types - Classic, Modern and Dynamic - allowing you to quickly play to your skill level.
The new Real Time Commentary Feature adds all the hype of a competitive match as well as easy-to-understand explanations about your gameplay. The Drive Gauge is a new system to manage your resources. Use it wisely in order to claim victory.
Explore the Streets in World Tour: Discover the meaning of strength in World Tour, an immersive, single-player story mode. Take your avatar and explore Metro City and beyond. Meet Masters who will take you under their wing and teach you their style and techniques.
Seek Rivals in the Battle Hub: The Battle Hub represents a core mode of Street Fighter 6 where players can gather and communicate, and become stronger together. Use the avatar you create in World Tour to check out cabinets on the Battle Hub floor and play against other players, or head over to the Game Center to enjoy some of Capcom's classic arcade games.
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, & Xbox Series X|S
- Franchise
- Street Fighter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Arcade
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
