"2024's Beatdown Extravaganza: Street Fighter 6 – What's on the Horizon?"




 Highlights


  • Street Fighter 6 has had a strong start, with high attendance records at tournaments and a large player base, setting it apart from other fighting games in the genre.
  • The game has already added new content, including collaborations with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and new cosmetics and characters, which have added variety and excitement to the game.
  • Looking ahead to 2024, Street Fighter 6 is set to release two more characters and will likely announce more content, including additional DLC fighters and in-game events with new cosmetics.


Street Fighter 6launched in June 2023, returning the series to its former glory after some rocky years with Street Fighter 5. The game has broken attendance records at major tournaments and has retained a large audience, avoiding the massive player drop off that plagues many games in the genre.


 Street Fighter 6 is off to a strong start, but Mortal Kombat 1 was released in September, and Tekken 8 is right around the corner, so the game must provide a strong roster of content in 2024 to remain the face of modern fighting games. Thankfully, the future of the title appears to be a bright one as new characters and more are on the way.


Following the game's launch, 2023 saw plenty of content added to Street Fighter 6. There was a collaboration with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, allowing players to get costumes resembling the iconic heroes. The game also got new cosmetics in the form of clothing items for player's avatars and alternative outfits for the game's roster of fighters.


 In addition to new cosmetic items and the occasional update to the game's feature set, Rashid and A.K.I. were added to the game as new combatants. These characters were released in a well-balanced state and added even more variety to the game's well-rounded cast. The duo was a strong start for the game's Year 1 Character Pass, which will add two additional fighters in 2024.


Street Fighter 6 Has 2 More Characters Announced for 2024


Ed is the next character coming to Street Fighter 6. The character was first made playable in Street Fighter 5 after having appeared in Rose's story in SF4. Ed is a boxer, one of the few archetypes currently absent from Street Fighter 6. 


Boxers usually only attack with their fists and excel in close-quarters combat. In Street Fighter 5, Ed only used motion inputs for his Critical Arts, making him one of the preferred characters for new players. If this design choice is carried over, he could be the perfect character for users of Modern controls in SF6 to learn the Classic control method. Ed will arrive in Winter 2024.


Akuma is the final fighter announced for Street Fighter 6's Year 1 Character Pass. He is a longtime rival of Ryu and has appeared in almost every Street Fighter game. Akuma is a shoto character, similar to Ken and Ryu, but he typically has a more aggressive move set and lower health, making him the franchise's resident glass canon. The character is typically one of the more difficult ones to play in any given game, but those who choose him are rewarded with versatility. Despite his difficulty, Akuma is historically quite strong, making him a popular choice among veteran players. He will arrive in SF6 in Spring 2024.


More Content Will Likely Be Announced for Street Fighter 6 in 2024


While only two more characters have been revealed for Street Fighter 6, it seems unlikely that Capcom will be done with the game. Ithas sold well, and SF5 received four seasons of DLC characters alongside other post-release content. Capcom Cup, a frequent venue for Street Fighter announcements, is scheduled to take place at the end of February, so its possible some big reveals will be made there. 


This date falls before the release window for Akuma however, so it's possible the developers could wait to make any hypothetical announcements until after his release. Street Fighter is a long-running franchise, and there are plenty of potential DLC fighters SF6 could add going forward.