We theorized some of the new characters that could come to Street Fighter 6 and we now have our answers. During the opening day of Summer Games Fest, we were treated to our first look at the next year of characters for Street Fighter 6. And while some may be disappointed that there’s still only four coming for the next year, the inclusion of Terry and Mai from the Fatal Fury/King of Fighters series is a landmark for Street Fighter as they are the first non-Capcom characters to appear in the series’ almost 40 year history. So here’s a look at each character and what you can expect from their playstyle.
Terry is the poster child of the SNK series, Fatal Fury, and in many ways is seen as the “Ryu” of SNK. He’s stood the test of time as their mascot and is often the company’s representative when SNK fighters appear as guests in other games.
He’s an all-American kinda guy, that’s always down for a fight and doesn’t take things to seriously. In gameplay terms, he’s not all that different from Ryu/Ken. He’s got a fireball (Power Wave), A forward moving neutral skip (Burning Knuckle), and an invincible rising reversal (Rising Tackle). In all honesty, his moves look very different from a Street Fighter character’s but he’s as straightforward as they come. If you’re a fan of Ryu, Ken and Akuma…you’ll like Terry.
Perhaps the least shocking of all the announcements. M. Bison is back. And looks like he’s seen better days. The old Dictator is broken down, covered in tattered cloths and seemingly unable to contain his Psycho Power.
Gameplay wise he’s a return to classic Bison. In Street Fighter V he was a slow-moving brawler with a greater emphasis on counter-play and teleporting. But now he’s seemingly back to his old self, with super fast neutral-skipping attacks. His trademark Psycho Crusher returns as a special move (in SFV it was only a super.) and he’s got several moves and his overall speed looks much quicker. And let’s just say his drive rush is….a lot.
Bison is also the first character to be released this season, coming out June 26th.
Mai is the first lady of SNK. In many ways, she serves as a foil to Chun-Li. In the Capcom vs. SNK games, they have a friendly rivalry. But now the two will be in the same game for the first time in nearly 25 years. And among fighting game fans she’s been held up as one of gaming’s most beloved women for decades.
Unlike Chun-Li, Mai’s gameplay heavily focuses on her Ninja techniques. She often has a number of ways to jump off walls, change her jump trajectory and has had several air-based super moves. Mai in SF6, could become very effective in the air in the same vein as Rashid, Akuma and to a certain extent Kimberly.
Elena is returning to the Street Fighter series after not having an appearance since Street Fighter x Tekken (which was based off Street Fighter IV). She’s a Kenyan Capoeira practitioner and is known to have supernatural healing powers. She’s also one of the most happy-go-lucky characters in SF, she never enters tournaments for glory or thrills. She just wants to make new friends.
As a Capoeira Maestro, expect Elena to have strong kick-based attacks and good pokes. However, she’s always had one of the highest jumps in the game so that could return as well. But the move everyone is afraid of is “Healing”. And based on her intro video, it doesn’t look like they are shying away from that aspect of her character. So if you give Elena breathing room while she has super meter, expect her to burn it on regaining health.
