The global beta test for Street Fighter V is set to begin on October 22 and will run a few days ending on October 25 packed with new characters and features. With this  test, PC players are now able to join in alongside previous PlayStation 4 users which gives Capcom the opportunity to test a number of new features this time around including cross play between the different platforms.

During this second beta test for Street Fighter V, Capcom has completely replaced the roster of characters, opting to allow players to use the newer announced characters such as R. Mika and Necalli. Previously available characters will no longer be accessible during this test outside of Ken who will once again be featured on the roster. Recently revealed fighters Zangief and Laura will not be joining the beta roster at this point either.

Finally, Capcom is also allowing players to spend in game currency called Fight Money that's earned through playing matches. Players can use the currency to unlock a number of items such as badges and a new stage known as the Kanzuki Estate. Unfortunately for fans, anything earned and unlocked will not transfer to the retail version of the game once it releases next year. Considering the issues that occurred during the first beta session, Capcom also made sure to add a blurb in the post reiterating that Street Fighter V is still a work in-progress so players should expect issues while playing.

Even though this is a beta test, it'll be interesting to see if Capcom has learned any lessons from the issues that plagued the first beta test back in July. While Capcom managed to recover from those issues, releasing the beta again a month later, the test was light on features and only took place on the PlayStation 4. With additional features now being added in addition to an entirely new platform of testers, this beta test is looking more and more important as the game enters the final few months of development time.

The big draw for this beta test appears to be Street Fighter V's cross play feature which allows players on the PC to fight against users on the PlayStation 4. As  one of the bigger selling points for the game, online stability is an area Capcom wants to get right, preventing the game from being mentioned alongside other games like Battlefield 4 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection that suffered through server issues at launch.

Recently released PC specs also place Street Fighter V in line with other upcoming titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Assassin's Creed Syndicate, though oddly enough, Capcom recommends Windows 7 as the preferred operating system. It's unknown what sort of potential issues could be facing Windows 8 or 10 users.

How many of you got to participate in the first beta? Are you planning to jump in on this new beta? Let us know in the comments below.

Street Fighter V releases for PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in Q1 of 2016.

Source: Capcom Unity