In a summer full of major releases, few are as highly anticipated as Street Fighter 6. When Capcom's newest entry into the mainline fighting game franchise drops in June, it'll mark the end of a seven-year wait. With the confirmed removal of the V-Gauge system and changes to frame data and performance gleaned through early beta tests, fans have been able to paint a reasonable picture in their heads of how Street Fighter 6 will look on launch.
With a stacked release roster and a re-energized focus on competitive play promised for 2023's Capcom Pro Tour, Street Fighter 6 seems to be set up for success. However, considering the tepid response to the initial release of Street Fighter 5, Capcom would do well to keep its ear open and listen to fans' complaints about the next title's predecessors.
Less DLC and More Day-One Content for Street Fighter 6
The increased attention on DLC content is not a unique problem to the Street Fighter franchise, but it's one of the most maligned trends across all gaming. For what it's worth, Street Fighter 5 was relatively forgiving with its Fight Money system, which allowed players to gather points by completing missions with purchased characters, which could then be used to unlock more characters. With Capcom confirming more characters coming to Street Fighter 6, the title appears to be trending in the right direction. A total of 18 characters will be available at launch, meaning Street Fighter 6 boasts two more than Street Fighter 5 - the most for any mainline Street Fighter release.
It's unrealistic to believe that Capcom will stray away from DLC in an industry that seems increasingly dependant with the idea, but value needs to be there for fans. If players are going to be spending their hard-earned money on the game - and inevitable DLC packs to follow - they need to be rewarded with a ton of content. When the DLC comes, it should be affordable and contain exciting guest characters for Street Fighter 6 alongside other unexpected surprises.
Street Fighter 6 Needs a Deeper Story Mode and More Character Interactions
Calling for an expanded story mode and a deeper exploration of lore in a fighting game may seem absurd, but fans' reactions to the Street Fighter 5 story mode at least prove there's an appetite for more. With a prequel tie-in comic for Street Fighter 6 scheduled to drop on Free Comic Book Day in May, Capcom can begin to whet fans' appetites for Street Fighter 6's story and set expectations for the game.
It was confirmed last year on Twitter that Street Fighter 6 takes place after Street Fighter 3, meaning the latest title is headed into uncharted waters. With familiar storylines for characters like Ryu and left-field twists like Ken being accused of terrorism, Street Fighter 6's story has undeniably massive potential, and fans are ready to explore it.
While Street Fighter 5 was criticized for its mistakes, one of its major successes was its attempts at a story mode. Though some fans were unimpressed, the light-hearted, self-parodic tone seemed to lay the blueprint for its successors like Street Fighter 6. Since a story mode won't be for every fighting game player, Street Fighter 6 would also do well to invest its time into more in-match dialogue, voice lines, and introductory scenes for each character as a way of tying in the lore for players who won't visit single-player modes.
Street Fighter 6 releases in 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.