Street Fighter VI brought the hype in June’s State of Play. In a brief two-minutes, Capcom showed off detailed looks at SFVI’s style, gameplay, multiplayer hub, and a surprising open-world element.

With a distinct hip hop influence, the newest Street Fighter boasts a style easily distinguished from the past two numbered titles. One of the loudest gripes leveled at Street Fighter V was that it did little to separate itself from Street Fighter IV.

Here now, is a game that is confident in its new look. The State of Play clip goes deeper into how Street Fighter VI carves a new identity. Primarily, its story mode – known as World Tour – will play similarly to open world adventure games. SFVI also turns the fighting game staple of the super meter on its head. The Drive System gives players a full charge from the word “Fight!”, providing risk-vs-reward strategies immediately in any round.

The trailer closes with a look at Street Fighter VI‘s multiplayer lobby: The Battle Hub. Another common complaint about SFV was that it’s multiplayer felt anemic compared to the popular and well-supported version of Ultra Street Fighter IV that was still going strong as of SFV‘s launch.

With detailed looks at classic characters Ryu and Chun-Li, as well as featured moments for newcomers Luke and Jake, Capcom is doing well to entice players with the new and the familiar in 2023. A crucial component of that will be the addition of a Smash Bros.-style control scheme that streamlines the input complexity for specials and supers. Though this controller layout is not featured in the State of Play, the Street Fighter website has been updated to coincide with it. There you can find a detailed breakdown of how the “Modern Control Type” will play.

That’s quite a few new ingredients for a series that has defined its genre for decades. What do you think? Is Capcom striking the right balance between tradition and evolution? Let us know in the comments or in the Boss Rush Discord!

Featured Image: Capcom

Source: PlayStation; Capcom