Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama recently talked about how fighting games can be impactful again. Street Fighter 6 is the highly anticipated sequel to Capcom's franchise and one of the most anticipated releases in recent years by fighting game fans. The title is also one of the major releases in the video game industry this year.
Announced in June of last year, Street Fighter 6 has shown a colorful mix of past and future. The game's graphics continue to rely on powerful 3D, with impressive results. Among the confirmed characters are veterans like Ryu and Ken, Chun-Li and Juri, and Blanka. The game will also have newcomers such as Marisa, Manon, and Kimberly. Another big news is the return of Dee Jay in Street Fighter 6, bringing back his infectious music, moves, and personality for the new generation.
Takayuki Nakayama told the Japanese website Oricon News that it is necessary to create a fighting game that is easy to recommend to others for the genre to become impactful again. Nakayama has helped bring several new features to Capcom's next entry in the franchise, including the creation of Street Fighter 6's Battle Hub. He also adds that fighting games must move beyond the concept of winning and losing. Instead, the director believes that the genre should offer experiences where the player has more freedom, interesting characters to meet, and a world to travel.
The Battle Hub is one part of what players can expect from Street Fighter 6. Capcom's game will have other content such as World Tour Mode, bringing an open-world adventure mode to the franchise. Street Fighter 6 will also feature mini-games and a new commentary system. In FIFA style, Street Fighter 6 will have the fights narrated by fighting game commentators like Steve "TastySteve" Scott and James "jchensor" Chen. Recently the list has grown with Street Fighter 6 adding wrestler Zelina Vega as one of the commentators who will be in the game.
Nakayama points out interesting issues, as the debate about how to make fighting games less intimidating for the novice and casual audience is a recurring one. Capcom is banking on solutions such as content, more accessible controls, and a vibrant look, making Street Fighter 6 more colorful than previous entries in the franchise. While fighting games may not have the buzz of other decades, this year is an important time for the genre also because of the release of Tekken 8.
Street Fighter 6 releases June 2 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Oricon News (via Eventhubs)