It’s been a long time since Street Fighter V made it’s debut. In the six years since launch things have changed considerably. Not only has cross-platform play become common place, but we also have a new generation of console hardware. For that, we’d like to Capcom optimising to bring the best possible experience of Street Fighter 6 in 2022.
Let me be clear: we’re not going to be talking about the technicalities of the fighting system in this article. It’s far too early to tell exactly what Capcom’s strategy is going to be there. This article is not intended for the eSports fanatic. Instead, this article is for the every day gamer. Those guys and gals that have grown up with every edition of the franchise (most probably since Street Fighter II), and have remained throughout the highs and lows.
Street Fighter 6 in 2022
Firstly, and possibly most unlikely, a 2022 release date would be wonderful. Capcom has already stated that we’ll be receiving more information on Street Fighter 6 this summer. That gives us a good four-to-six months window to see the game released before the year is out. It’s a longshot, but certainly possible considering Capcom has undoubtedly been working on the game for some time already. However, more likely is that we’ll get the game early 2023.
Multi-Format Release
Street Fighter V stuttered at launch. That’s no secret. However, it also arguably lost a great deal of it’s fanbase by launching exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PC. There is a huge audience for the series on Xbox consoles also, so a multi-format release on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 would surely be welcomed. Furthermore, despite it likely being ~2 years since the new generation of console has launched by the time Street Fighter 6 arrives, in order to maximise the fanbase Capcom shouldn’t overlook Xbox One and PlayStation 4, too.
Crossplay
And with that launch across multiple formats, we have a new need. Street Fighter is a series which lives-and-dies upon its community. And so, in order to ensure that the community begins at a healthy clip, the best opportunity is to allow for crossplay over multiple devices. You could say there are unfair advantages here, given that the newer consoles allow for fast framerates in many games. However, the same could always have been true for the use of arcade sticks or turbo pads in online play.
Character Roster
Street Fighter V debuted with a roster of 16 characters. Not too bad for the launch of a new competitive-centric fighting title. However, by close the roster had grown to 45 combatants. Street Fighter 6 has to maintain a balance. There are many fan favourite characters that players will wish for day one, but at the same time Capcom’s tried-and-tested method of re-releasing each mainline Street Fighter title with new additions at least twice has to be considered. The developer was brave enough to omit series mainstays like Guile and Blanka, but in doing so many fans were disappointed. We would suggest that omissions are fine on day one, as long as there’s promise of certain well recognised characters appearing at a future date.
Just one week after the announcement of Street Fighter 6, these are the basic preferences we have for the upcoming title. How about you? What would you like to see from the game? Let us know in the comments below!
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