Familiar faces in hidden places
Eagle-eyed Street Fighter fans, who understandably picked through yesterday’s Street Fighter 6 gameplay trailer with a fine toothcomb, quickly uncovered a “leak” (I see you, Capcom), that consisted of several flash frames — buried deep within the trailer — that named multiple characters for the exciting-looking sequel.
And then… mere hours later, everything blew wide open…
Earlier this morning, multiple online communities, including 4Chan, Twitter, and ResetEra, began sharing an image that seems to reveal the Street Fighter 6 launch roster in its entirety, spotlighting 22 characters via some pretty badass-looking artwork. If you want to quit my rambling and get to the goods, then you can check out the full image below, as compiled and identified by Reddit user Zetra3.
While the original source of this particular leak remains in question (given that the image surfaced and was then reposted in multiple communities in double-quick time), it is the accuracy of the visual depictions of Ryu, Chun-Li, and Luke, as well as newcomers Jamie and Kimberely, all of whom appeared in yesterday’s trailer, that suggests that this is, indeed, the authentic launch roster for Street Fighter 6.
So, who’s on the agenda? Well, we have the original eight Street Fighter II World Warriors, from Ryu and Ken through Zangief, Dhalsim, and Blanka, (note: no Shadaloo bosses at all). Super Turbo finds its own representation in the form of fan-favorite Cammy and a returning Dee Jay Maximum, while newer Street Fighter V superstars Rashid, Ed, and Luke also put in an appearance. Huh, Ed made the cut, even though Luke — another young, blond, fist-throwing pugilist — is the SF6 poster boy. I did not see that coming.
These familiar faces are accompanied by no less than seven newcomers, including the meaty-looking Marisa, the funky-fresh Kimberely, baller boomer JP and the mysterious A.K.I. — who probably has very little to do with Nintendo 64 wrestling games. Of course, the single most important revelation here is that of Korean taekwondo expert, wild-eyed assassin, and all-round my wife Juri Han, who is looking as awesome as ever.
In fact, everybody looks wicked, with a colorful, “back-alley” vibe that is perfectly in keeping with SF6‘s “Back to the Streets” aesthetic. Should this exciting leak prove genuine, which looks very likely at this stage, then this is a very fine launch roster… in my considered opinion.
Street Fighter 6 launches 2023 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.
