What We Learned From Street Fighter 6 Showcase

The Street Fighter 6 showcase finally happened, and to say it exceeded expectations would be putting it mildly. The things Capcom showcased easily set up Street Fighter 6 as a possible Game of the Year contender (no, I am not kidding).

The showcase revealed a lot of things to come from Capcom's latest fighter, but the biggest news is that a demo version is available for download right now on PS4 and PS5. The demo version has only Ryu and Luke as playable characters, but it enables you to get a glimpse of the Fighting Ground and a little slice of the World Tour mode. 

In this article, we'll be looking at all the things we learned from this showcase.

World Tour Mode

1. You Start Out With the Buckler Security Training Course: The player starts the game as an underling to Luke, who is a member of Buckler Security. You learn under him and meet your rival, Bosch, before taking on the world of Metro City.
2. Interactions: We learned that you can interact with most of the NPCs and fight them while out on the streets. It seems each NPC is equipped with movesets similar to any of the characters in the game. With each battle, you gain experience points, and you can level up your avatar. This is made possible through gear which have properties that can improve your character. It is similar to many games, including Persona 5, where equipping a shirt could give you +20 attack or something. Also, you get some special missions or objectives that give more EXP than normal. 
3. The Master Feature: One of the more interesting features we got a glimpse of was the master feature. In Street Fighter 6, you will be able to train under specific masters like Ryu or Chun li. Once you enroll with a master, you gain access to what is called a 'Master Action.' As you use your Master's moves, you can improve your ranking under that particular master and return to unlock new moves. You can also improve your relationship with the master by giving them gifts and completing master-specific missions. What is unclear is how many master skillsets you can have at once. In a small menu section, we got to see two being equipped (Chun li and Luke), and it is uncertain if you will be able to use master moves at will or if there will be some sort of loadout system that allows you to maybe pick only three masters at any one time. 
4. Nayshall: Nayshall is another area like Metro City where you can explore the open world and face off against enemies and opponents. While Metro City is urban, Nayshall is a bit more rustic. It is a huge area with challenges, missions, and maybe even masters. 
5. Flight Tickets: You can also travel all around the world by obtaining travel tickets which help you get around and find masters scattered across the globe. 
6. Drive Stall: Just like with any open-world game, there are enemies you'll happen upon, most of whom are members of the Mad Gear Gang. They will attack you, and it was in showcasing this that we got the first glimpse of a new mechanic called the 'Drive Stall.' This mechanic is like 'Bullet Time' in the movies, and it slows things down to enable you to dispatch your opponents with greater ease. 

Apart from the above, we also learned that Carlos Miyamoto is indeed in the game, and whatever is in Jamie's drink is not alcohol but a herbal mix that still knocks you out. 

Battle Hub

Some of the things we learned about Battle Hub include:

1. You can battle other players with your customized avatars: This is incredible because it lets you, with all the skills and experience you have accumulated battle against another player with their own avatar to see who is better. 
2. Fighters Club: This is a new innovation in the Street Fighter series. In SF6, you will be able to create a club with like-minded players. The exact nature of this feature is a little unclear, but you will be able to design your emblem and even team jerseys that your members can wear. This way, you can go for a distinct personality and so much more. 

The classic arcade games and all the other fun bits are also in the Battle Hub section of the game. 

Fighting Ground

We have been introduced to many of the innovations in Fighting Ground, but we were made privy to a few more which we will look at here.

1. There is damage: One of the things added to the game is player damage. This means that the more damage your character takes, there will be visible signs of deterioration, including dirty clothing and bruises. This is to add an element of realism to the game. On the bright side, it can be turned off if that is not your thing.
2. Sound Accessibility: A great merit of Street Fighter 6 is the attention to detail for players who might not be able to enjoy the game normally due to one impairment or the other. The sound accessibility option allows players to figure out when they are close or far from an opponent, how much drive meter they have, or if they have been hit by a crossup. All of this makes the game a whole lot more accessible to various players. 
3. Tutorials: Each character has a dedicated tutorial that teaches you all you need to know about them. This is handy when trying out the game for the first time or picking up a new character. 
4. Game Modes: There are several game modes to try out, including training mode, which allows you to slow the game down by 50% to help you work on timing. There are also team battles in which you can play against others or with friends against AI. There is the Extreme Battle, which puts up various conditions to win and custom rooms where you can host other fighters you want to play against.

The Roadmap

Apart from the news of the $1,000,000 on the line for winning Capcom Cup X, we also got a roadmap for DLC for the first year of the game. 

We will be getting four characters, namely:

Rashid - Summer 2023

A.K.I - Fall 2023

Ed - Winter 2024

Akuma - Spring 2024

All in all, the showcase was amazing, and it would have done the job of getting people even more excited for the game than they were already.

It is no joke to say that Street Fighter 6 might be the big break the FGC needs. With so many options to play with, the game could be the biggest entry point for new players and breathe new life into the competitive scene. It remains to be seen how well it will perform as a fighting game, but there is so much to give us confidence from what we have seen so far.