The return of one of Sega's flagship franchises is official. A new Virtua Fighter title is currently being developed.

But the announcement wasn't made with a ton of fanfare, or a red carpet parade. In fact, there isn't even a trailer for the new game yet. Instead, Sega's global head of transmedia, Justin Scarpone casually made the reveal during an interview with VGC:

So we have a suite of titles in development right now that fall into that legacy bucket, which we announced last year at The Game Awards; Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and we have another Virtua Fighter being developed.

It's incredibly surprising that a reveal of this magnitude was done in such a relaxed manner. Although Virtua Fighter isn't as culturally relevant as it was in the past, it's still a hefty intellectual property and was the first 3D fighter ever. Still, the fighting game community is already abuzz with r??umors and speculation on what to expect from Sega.

The biggest question is whether or not the title in development is the long-awaited Virtua Fighter 6, or yet another update of an older game in the series. And this is a fair inquiry, considering for nearly 20 years the franchise received only updates to Virtua Fighter 5.

Most recently, Sega released Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, a 2021 PlayStation 4 exclusive, which leads us to the next big question concerning the new game: Will Sega release the new Virtua Fighter on more than Sony consoles? This topic wasn't addressed in Scarpone's interview, and gamers likely won't know ho?w little information was ?made public for a while.

Further down the line, features like rollback netcode, crossplay, online training mode, and replay takeover will be hot topics for discourse concernin??g the new installment, and hopefully more details become known sooner ra??ther than later.

Until then, fighting game enthusiasts can rest easy knowing Virtua Fighter is back.

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On September 26, SNK announced Street Fighter's Ken Masters and Chun-Li are joining the roster of its upcoming Fatal Fury title. The announcement was made during the developer's block at Tokyo Game Show along with a teaser trailer.

Coming just days after Fatal Fury protagonist Terry Bogard's release in Street Fighter 6, the news that Capcom characters are c??rossing over into SNK's intellectual properties as well, lit the fighting game community on fire.

Beloved YouTuber Maximilian Dood's hilarious reaction to the trailer is already being memed into oblivion, and questions of what's next i?n this working relationship between two fighting game titans are swirling in the rumor pool.

Fighting game players, especially of the older generation, are familiar with past crossovers between Capcom and SNK, such as the Capcom vs. SNK games and SNK vs Capcom: SVC Chaos. These crossover titles hold a legendary reputation and were foundational in the development of the FGC. They run so deep in the community that the CvS games held spots at? EVO when it was still called Battle by the Bay.

2003 was the last time gamers received a full crossover fighting game from the two developers, but with Terry and Mai Shiranui in SF6 and Ken and Chun in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, it's very likely one is in the works. But the Street Fighter crossover isn't the only one SNK is working on presently, as the company strangely announced soccer star Ronaldo's involvement in its new title just one day before that.

Fatal Fury is avail?able for pre-order on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Se?ries X|S, and PC before its release on April 24, 2025.

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Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection was only released on September 12, but the legend of a player called the "Wazz?ler" is already spreading.

According to Steam reviews, this guy is like Thanos; running into him on ranked is inevitable. The unholy beatdowns he delivers are, too. It all makes perfect sense, though, because the Wazzler is none other than Justin Wong, 9-time EVO champion and the greatest Marvel vs Capcom player of all time.

Getting bulled in a fighting game by Wong is nothing new. For example, a clip of him showing an eight-year-old the ropes in Mortal Kombat X has made its rounds on the internet for years. But Marvel vs Capcom is Justin's specialty, and this ??time, it's adults qui??tting the game in frustration.

The first mention of the Wazzler comes from Steam user "TongOfDmg," who claimed that their run-in not only ruined his night but drove him to refund the game. ??Meanwhile, several other users have left reviews warning of the impending danger of Wazzler and the dire consequences of his wrath.

But? maybe they've got Justin all wrong. Maybe, in a twisted way, his reign of terror is for the benefit of mankind. I mean, Steam user "formerly" said they made their entire family dinner while locked in an Iron Man combo. And anyone who brings family together like that is alright in my book.

Justin himself seems to be having fun with the situation and acknowledged it on his Twitte?r. But what he said next might shake Marvel players to their core. After reaching the number one rank on the Steam and PlayStation 4 ladders, he announced the Nintendo Switch would be next.

It appears no platform is safe from his expanding empire, and I worry for myself and other Xbox players when the MvC collection comes to Xbox One next year. The only certainty is that if you dare go online with the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection, you must beware Wazzler.

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Capcom is digging back into its vault and finally unearthing one of its most asked-after classics, packaging its pixel-era Marvel crossovers into a single game with the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection. It's a compilation that would, indeed, like t??o take? you for a ride.

While this collection is probably most notable for making Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 conveniently playable, it's also a tour through a fascinating, arguably foundational, era of Capcom's brawler development. So, to tackle its disparate parts, we've put two reviewers on the case. First off, I—Eric—will dig into the multiplayer fighting game aspect, from X-Men: Children of the Atom up through Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Then Zoey will weigh in with expert knowledge on The Punisher, the side-scrolling beat 'em up ?packaged in with the bunch.

Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: September 11, 2024
MSRP: $49.99

Wanna learn how to do an infinite?

It’s still a little surreal to see Capcom’s Marvel crossovers playable on a modern platform. Once Arcade1Up put out its Marvel cab, it felt inevitable that some kind of port would follow. But even for preservation’s? sake alone, this collection is a big deal.

When the collection bears the name �em>Marvel Vs. Capcom�on the title, you know what the focus is. Everything here centers on Capcom’s legendary series of crossovers, starting with a few core Marvel games and building into Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

Seeing these games in sequence like this really helps illustrate how Capcom built these characters and concepts up over time. You can see the first iterations of Cyclops and Wolverine duking it out and how those fighters shifted over the years from X-Men: Children of the Atom all the way through to MvC2.

Laying out the lineage like this is a nice touch, and thankfully, it’s pretty easy to play through a few rounds on every game. Though the lobby system is a little finicky for my taste, it certainly functions just fine, and the netcode felt solid in the matches I ran with someone across the States from me. Playing a first-to-three in Marvel Super Heroes and then swapping over to an X-Men or MvC is pretty smooth, ma?king it easy to jump around through Capcom’s development timelin?e.

While the history is nice to see, there are obvious standouts. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter is a personal favorite of mine, and it’s been done well here. The original Marvel Vs. Capcom holds up well, too, and it’s neat to see how the tag and assi?st systems evolved in these crossover fighters over time.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is the star of the show, though. It’s been years since I spent hours trying to climb in the Xbox 360 port, and many more since I first put a quarter in an MvC cab, so I do think it’s important to stress: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is one hell of a game.

I mean this in a few ways, too, because as fun as it is to play so many characters that feel so powerful, the line can quickly veer into something busted. It’s a rite of passage to go online in MvC2 and get bowled over by an Iron ??Man infinite or someone running? a classic composition of god-tier fighters.

All the nastiness is here in spades, and for the sickos who want that, I think they’ll find it. Even as a critic, I’d still recommend the absolute MvC diehards check out in-depth reports from the likes of Justin Wong to see whether the granular details have translated well. But for someone like me, a casual MvC fan wh??o just wants to play my favorite version of Jill Valentine and fight my fri??ends, it’s a solid offering.

A few modernizations could help onboard newcomers, like the increasingly popular one-button specials option. It’s nice to see a good training mode in here, too. All of this points to a collection that could revitalize competitive interest in MvC; whi?le the diehards have been using alternative methods for some time, this is another point where putting these games on a modern platform helps out.

Sadly, even modernization doesn't help all of these games shine as brightly as others. The aforementioned standouts are there, and I'm pretty sure if you're buying this collection, you're buying it for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Everything else is gravy on top. But after a handful of rounds in some of the other games, I felt fine not running more, especially when they had fewer character options compared to the massive MvC2 lineup.

Ultimately, this collection feels like a time capsule of Capcom history. Putting all these games together clearly illustrates the through-lines, showing how Capcom and Marvel built a working relationship over years of fighting game crossovers. In that respect, it might feel a little lacking in variety. Rather than a smorgasbord of differing styles, it’s focused on a lineage, the way previous collections like the Street Fighter 30th laid out decades of ite?ration on a core concept.

But it’s this focused encapsulation that makes this collection so endearing for me. So much artwork and music has been packed in, alongside options that make it easy to tinker, train, or just experience the explosive wonders of MvC2 for the first time. I think if you’re a fan of fighting game history, this collection is a no-brainer. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking to “get into�fighting games, but I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who gets rosily nostalgic every time they hear “I wanna take you for a ride�ring out through their speakers. - Eric Van Allen

It's punishin' time

It’s always a cause for celebration when a licensed game somehow gets rereleased in modern times. While the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection centers around the mashup titles, The Punisher sits ?at the beat-’em-up lunchroom table alone. A surprising addition, but one that deserv??es attention.

Without thinking too hard about it, Capcom was the best when it came to belt-scrolling brawlers. 1994 was a good year to be a fan, as that was when Alien vs. Predator and The Punisher were released. While AvP is probably the better game overall, The Punisher is no slouch.

You can play as either The Punisher or Nick Fury. I have no idea why Nick Fury is here, aside from the fact that he’s one of the few Marvel characters who will use a gun. I thought it would be explained in the opening demo, but it isn’t. I’m not sure why a government agent would join a vigilante in a full assault against an organized crime family. If that sort of thing was allowed, they probabl??y could have just killed the Kingpin a long time ago.

Anyway, that’s all The Punisher is. It starts off by having you beat up thugs in a casino. Then you just follow the trail of thugs until you get to The Kingpin. You go through various crime-y loc?ations, such as a bus, a mansion, a waterfront warehouse, and an underground grow-op. There are bosses at the end of each. You know the drill.

Perhaps the biggest twist to the beat-’em-up brawler that The Punisher brings is that if a thug pulls a gun on Mr. Punisher or Mr. Fury, they’ll pull out their pistols and respond in kind. That sounds like they were trying to say that they only shoot thugs in self-defense, but you can later pick up Uzis and assault? rifles and kill indiscriminately. I guess it doesn’t count when you’re using guns you pick up off the ground: It’s the five-second rule for murder.

Overall, The Punisher is a solid brawler. The art style is one of the best parts, especially for the perpetually seething Punisher. You can practically see the veins poppin?g out of his head. The levels feel kind of short, but the entire game clocks in at just over 40 minutes. When you get tired of the smorgasbord of fighting games that make up the rest of the collection, it makes a pretty great palette cleanser. 

Or maybe you’re just tired of kicking the crap out of your friend and want to team up for a change. You can briefly immerse yourself in the camaraderie between Mr. Punisher and Mr. Fury a few years before Mr. Punisher shoots Mr. Fury in the back. - Zoey Handley

Gather ye stones

On the whole, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection does exactly what it sets ?out to do: take these classic crossovers, appl??y some modernizations, gather up some historical assets, and package them all neatly together.

It's not the most wide-ranging appeal, but for those within that niche, it's hard to find too many complaints. There's rollback netcode, some fantastic games, and a Punisher beat 'em up for when you'd rather co-op than fight. If you're a nostalgic fan of the originals or someone curious ab?out one of the most storied games in fighting history, this collection makes it easy to take a ride back in time.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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The third edition of Red Bull's T??ekken tournament Golden Letters is looming, a tournament that's not just about beating your opponent, but doing so in style.

Usually, a tournament set is awarded to the first pla??yer to win a set number of games. But at Golden Letters, any time a player scores a "Perfect" or a "Great" round victory, it holds the same weight as a game win. That means a player that only won three rounds the entire match could still come out on top.

Golden Letters will give everyone a reason to remember the 28th and 29th night of September, where 20 competitors from various nations of the Tekken empire w??ill descend upon the Red B??ull Gaming Sphere in London.

The Gold Standard

There is no coaching allowed at Golden Letters, so competitors are entirely on their own. All matches played at Golden Letters are first to three game wins, but because you can win based on Perfect ??or Great rounds, a match could end in a single game, before it ever goes the distance.

20 competitors separate into four groups of five, and play out their 1v1 matches in round robin style. Every player in a pool plays each player in their pool once. The three combatants with the best match records in each pool will advance to the final Top 12 double elimination ?bracket. First and second place go to the winn??er's side, and third on the loser's. In the event of a tiebreaker, players compare game counts, then "golden letter" round victories.

Here are the groups for the Red Bull Golden Letters 2024 tournament:

Pool 1

• Arslan Ash
• AK
• KaneAndTrench
• Yuyu
• Sour Piggy

Pool 2

• Atif
• JDCR
• Speedkicks
• Ayo Richie
• Nino

Pool 3

• Ulsan
• Joka
• Jodd
• Anakin
• Shonen

Pool 4

• CherryBerryMango (CBM)
• Yagami
• Joey Fury
• the-SAM-brother
• Tetsu

The player pool is a who's who of Tekken, and chock-full of absolute killers. Arslan Ash is a five-time E??VO champion and a front-runner to win any event he enters. Ayo Richie was the inaugural Golden Letters champ in 2022, and looks to regain his title after falling short last year. Anakin ??and KaneAndTrench fought in the two previous tournaments, but have yet to stand at the top of the podium. The one certainty with Golden Letters is that it'll be an interesting watch.

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Evo 2024 has come and gone, with another year of spectacular fighting game competition in the books. Across its eight main games and many, many side tournaments and exhibitions, there was really no ??shortage of high?-level fightin' and scrappin' to watch.

With all the streams and excitement, though, it might be easy to overlook some of the news announced over the course of the event. Who wasn't distracted by Hayao's 3rd Strike run, after all? So we've gathered all the fighting game news from the weekend in one convenient post, to peruse in the wake of another excellent Evo. Here's every piece of fighting game news announce??d at Evo 2?024.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact adds Meruem, shows opening movie

The upcoming Hunter x Hunter fighting game Nen Impact didn't just get one new character, but what looks like its entire base roster is confirmed. The Chimera Ant leader Meruem got the most spotlight, but there are a few more familiar faces sprinkled throughout the opening movie. Though a few notable HxH characters are missing, it lo?oks like a solid roster to st?art.

Rivals 2 adds Orcane, and is making the post-launch roster free

While platform-fighters walk a thin line between fighting games and being their own thing, Rivals of Aether has been an excellent Smash alternative to follow. Alongside confirming Orcane is making the jump to Rivals 2 when it launches in 2024, Aether Studios also confirmed all future Rivals 2 chara??cters will head to the game free-of-charge. Pretty rad! Speaking of p??latform-fighters...

Samurai Jack is coming to MultiVersus

Season 2 is on the way for MultiVersus, w?ith Samurai Jack in the lead and Beetlejuice due later on. Warner Bros.' multiversal multiplayer game has certainly had a rough go of things, but maybe a guaranteed crowd-pleaser like Jack can help tilt the narrative back in its favor. Samurai Jack arrives with Sea??son 2 on July 23.

Here's what skins will look like in 2XKO

Riot's League of Legends fighting game 2XKO didn't share too much major news, as the team just recently revealed Braum and has its alpha coming up soon. For Evo 2024, though, the developers did show a brief look at the possibilities for skins in 2XKO using Ahri's Dynasty fit. If LoL is any indication, I definitely expect this ?game to have some cosmetic options when it fully launches next year.

The King of Fighters XV adds Vice and Mature

SNK had quite a bit of news to announce this weekend, starting with Vice and Mature joining the KOF XV roster in December 2024. It's the addition of two kn??own characters, but it's nice to know Team Yagami fans can get the team back together.

Fatal Fury: COTW adds Kevin Rian to the line-up

The upcoming City of the Wolves also announced Kevin Rian for the lineup. Still not too much to talk about here, but the next Fatal Fury is looking quite solid. I got to play some of it back at Summer Game Fest this year, and dug how it's been coming along. Alongside the new trailer, we also got a quiet confirmation that SNK is working on a new Art of Fighting and a Samurai Shodown action RPG.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos gets a re-release

Here's the big surprise of the weekend from SNK: SVC Chaos is re-released for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG. It's a bit more niche and not quite as beloved as Capcom vs. SNK, but it certainly throws some fuel on the fire for those wanting a re-release of CvS, or even a new title.

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes adds Uzuki this month

Back on the anime fighter side, Under Night In-Birth 2 is continuing its character rollout with Uzuki, w??ho's going to ??be widely available not long after the conclusion of Evo 2024.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising confirms a second year of content

For Granblue players, Cygames confirmed an entire second year of content is coming to Rising, with Versusia already locked in and more characters on the way. Plus, there are a host of feature updates and even story content planned. It was really rad to see the Granblue scene? thriving in the early Sunday morning finals slot.

Guilty Gear Strive reveals four more fighters, including Lucy from Cyberpunk Edgerunners

While the surprise was dampened a bit by an early leak, it's still crazy that Guilty Gear is adding a guest character, and from Cyberpunk Edgerunners. That said, Lucy feels like a perfect pick, and I cannot wait to see what she plays like sometime next year. Meanwhile, a new character is also planned for Strive, alongside series favorites Dizzy and Venom.

Somehow, Heihachi returns to Tekken

Remember how Heihachi got thrown into a volcano? Well, it's the year of the dead fighting game villains returning; first Bison came back to Street Fighter, and now Heihachi is returning as the third character in Tekken 8's DLC roll-out. Expect him sometime after Lidia, who goes live this coming week. Some story DLC is also on the way too, which is a pretty notable addition for Tekken lore fans.

Evo is adding a few new events

Since its acquisition by Sony and RTS, Evo has been steadily expanding. It looks like that isn't stopping, as Evo is planning four events next year: the Evo Awards in February, Evo Japan in May, the main Evo show next August, and Evo France in October. Organizer Rick "The H??adou" Thiher also teased a Singapore event for 2026. I love seei??ng the European scene, and France in particular, get the Evo spotlight like this.

Here's a new look at Terry Bogard in Street Fighter 6

After the confirmation at SGF 2024, we knew SNK's Terry was joining the Street Fighter 6 lineup this autumn. While Terry's trailer at Evo 2024 did??n't necessarily contain any new inform?ation, we did get to see him in motion, and I think he looks pretty solid. No doubt he'll be popular when he joins the roster this fall.

That's everything for Evo 2024. A slightly more subdued year, without any major game reveals and ?a few known quantities, but certainly no shortage of new fighters entering their respective arenas. Plus, a surprise retro re-release that might put some hope in old??er fighting game fans' hearts for more.

News or not, there were some fantastic finals, from an energetic 3rd Strike bracket to incredible matches across Granblue, Tekken, and more. Here'??s to one good year in the books, and another year of fighting games ahead.

The post Everything announced at Evo 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

This weekend is gonna be full of fighting game action. E??vo, or the Evolution Championshi??p Series, is one of the biggest fighting game events of the year, and Evo 2024 is running all weekend to determine who's top of their field across many major brawlers.

Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Evo's open-bracket structure means anyone can fly in and sign up to compete. This, combined with its prestige, has led to Evo becoming one of—if not frankly the—trophy to win for modern fighting game competitors. And it's also been home to some historic moments for the fighting game community (FGC), from the Daigo parry to premature celebrations alike.

So what's happening at Evo 2024 this year? Well, alongside plenty of panels and side games, there will be three days of competition a?cross the eight main stag?e games. Here's everything you need to know about the event.

What are the main stage games at Evo 2024?

Evo 2024 will play home to many, many fighting games. Competitors flying in are just as li??kely to compete in a few side tournaments and community events as they are the main event. ??But as for the main stage, Evo is featuring eight games in its lineup:

• Street Fighter 6
• Tekken 8
• Guilty Gear Strive
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
• Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes
• Mortal Kombat 1
• The King of Fighters XV

These games will host tournaments that whittle their player pools down to increasingly smaller sizes in a double-elimination bracket, culminating in a Top 6 showdown. The above list is also sorted by entrant numbers; The King of Fighters XV brought in 375 entrants, while Street Fighter 6 hosts its sophomore Evo tournament with 5,265 en?trants. That's quite a lot of fireballs.

Entrant number?s are important, because they ultimately determine who takes the main stage and when.

What's the schedule for Evo 2024?

Evo 2024 runs from Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21. Tournaments will run throughout all three days, slowly working through every ga?me's bracket on various streams. Saturday w??ill feature the bottom four games' finals, alongside continued bracket play. Sunday is always reserved for the Top 6 matches for the top games; colloquially, Grand Finals Sunday.

Seven Twitch channels, ranging from the main channel to 2 through 7, will air the various games and their brackets. If you're a sports fan, it's a bit like March Madness or the World Cup. Viewers can opt?? to tune into streams specific for their favorite games, with commentators and everything.

??If you want to keep up with the Top 6 match-ups and ultimate winners of every bracket, then I recommend sticking to the main Evo chann?el. However, if you want to always be watching some games, Friday would be a good day to hop around the other Evo channels. That's because the Evo 2024 Showcase will dominate the main channel on Day 1, and it looks like a pretty packed schedule.

What's in the Evo 2024 Showcase?

Every year, Evo has added more developer news and panels to its production schedule, and this year looks to really maximize the stage time. From 10 a.m. th??rough the end of the day, the Evo Showcase will be putting on decidedly different programming from the bracket play on th??e other channels.

Here's a rundown of the Evo 2024 Showcase schedule, via the Evo site (times in US PT):

• 10 a.m. â€?HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT Panel
• 11 a.m. â€?HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT Exhibition Tournament
• 1 p.m. â€?Live Rivals React with Justin Wong and Yipes
• 1:30 p.m. â€?Capcom Panel
• 2:30 p.m. â€?GBVSR Panel from Cygames
• 3 p.m. â€?Sajam Slam: Beat a Pro
• 4 p.m. â€?TEKKEN 8 X Chipotle â€?SPECIAL EVO PANEL
• 4:30 p.m. â€?Cannon Awards
• 4:45 p.m. â€?FGC Feud with JMCrofts
• 5:30 p.m. â€?The Art of Guilty Gear -Strive- Panel
• 6:15 p.m. â€?Rivals 2 Panel
• 6:30 p.m. â€?Seth Killian Interview with SonicFox
• 7 p.m. â€?FATAL FURY: CotW & KOF XV - SNK Developer Panel
• 8 p.m. â€?FATAL FURY: CotW Exhibition Tournament

As you can see, it's a mixture of developer panels, content creator segments, interviews, and even an awards show. Upcoming games like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact will get some stage time, and there will also be some neat conversations, like Seth Kilian interviewing legendary competitor SonicFox.

While you might miss the fighting game action on Friday for this, it's a ?good way to catch some news. I would expect the major reveals—namely, any new games or fight?ers—to be saved for Grand Finals Sunday, between the Top 6 events. If you want the granular details though, the Showcase will probably have you covered.

What other streams are airing during Evo 2024?

As always, the action isn't limited to just the main stage at Evo 2024, or even just the main Evo channels. Several community-driven organizations and broadcasters will be airing their own streams throughout the weekend, whether that's a community tournament on-site or a r?owdy suite set-up.

A major facet of this will be the Community Showcase, which spotlights various fighting games that didn't make the cut for the main stage 8, but still often featu?re stellar competition between devoted players. Here's the Community Showcase schedule, alongsi?de the Twitch channels they'll be airing on (all times in US PT):

Friday, July 19

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear +R Pools
• 2 p.m. - Guilty Gear +R Top 6
• 4 p.m. - Capcom vs. SNK 2 Top 4
• 6 p.m. - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Top 8

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Pools
• 2 p.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Top 16
• 4 p.m. - Ultra Street Fighter IV Pools
• 6 p.m. - Ultra Street Fighter IV Top 6

Saturday, July 20

Airing on teamsp00ky:

• 10 a.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Top 6
• 12 p.m. - BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Top 6
• 2 p.m. - Killer Instinct Top 16
• 4 p.m. - Killer Instinct Top 6

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Pools
• 2 p.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Top 24
• 4 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Pools
• 6 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Samurai Shodown Top 24

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Soulcalibur VI Pools
• 2 p.m. - Soulcalibur VI Top 24
• 4 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Pools
• 6 p.m. - Blazblue Central Fiction Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Vampire Savior Top 6

Airing on Reversal:

• 6 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Top 6

Sunday, July 21

Airing on teamsp00ky:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Top 6
• 12 p.m. - Blazblue Central Fiction Top 6
• 2 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Top 6

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Street Fighter V Pools
• 2 p.m. - Street Fighter V Top 6

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Street Fighter 2 Super Turbo Pools
• 2 p.m. - Street Fighter 2 Super Turbo Top 6

Airing on MajinObama:

• 10 a.m. - Soulcalibur VI Top 6
• 12 p.m. - Samurai Shodown Top 6
• 2 p.m. - DNF Duel Top 6

Airing on bgcallisto:

• 10 a.m. - Skullgirls Pools
• 2 p.m. - Skullgirls Top 6

These are typically smaller tournaments than the main stage games, but the FGC has plenty of people who show up and play the games they enjoy, regardless of mainstream popularity. I highly recommend checking these out - if you recommendations, you really can't go wrong with some Melty Blood, Soulcalibur, or Skullgirls.

What are the storylines going into Evo 2024?

As for what to watch for, each game in the main stage lineup has its own legacy going into this weekend. Some are the new kids on the block, or maybe even the latest entry in a long-running series, while others feature scenes that have developed and changed over time, even playing host to their own rivalries and drama. The people make the competition inter?esting, and there's no shortag?e of interesting competitors.

For The King of Fighters XV, many eyes will be on Xiao Hai, a dominant competitor who took Evo J??apan 2023 without dropping a set. Look for the Latin American scene to show up in force here to try and block a Xiao Hai run.

Mortal Kombat 1 has been, to use a tired euphemism, a mixed bag. There are plenty of strong competitors, with SonicFox as the presumptive favorite, but the game itself hasn't seen the kind of enthusiastic reception you'd expect for Mortal Kombat or NetherRealm. This entry's Evo debut will definitely set the tone for MK1 moving forward.

Tekken 8 will also be setting a tone with its Evo 2024 debut, though it's entering the weekend in a more favorable position; Tekken 7 has, in my opinion, been one of the better fighting games to watch over the last few y??ears. The competition has been fierce, the vibrant international scene has only raised the bar, and the players put their all into taking home the trophy.

Both Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 look strong going into their respective tournaments, which feels reflected by their position at the top of the entrant numbers. Guilty Gear Strive is also still going strong at third, though the real pleasant surprise has been Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, setting a franchise record for entrants at this year's tournaments. I'd love to see the Granblue fans really win some more folks over with a stellar Top 6 to open Sunday, and Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes should also be a fun time the night before.

Saturday night is going to end strong with the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Top 6, though. As this year's throwback game, garnering 1,101 entrants alone is already a testament to the long-lasting legacy of 3rd Strike. Older players will likely clash against new tal?ent, and we could easily see a bracket full? of titans.

All in all, it should be a packed weekend if you enjoy watching two players beat the health bar out of each other. Expect reveals, stunning matches, and more than a few pop-offs. Evo 2024 gets underway on July 19, at 10 a.m. PT.

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Throwing your controller in a fit of rage after losing a game is one thing, but how many of us have picked up and thrown the chair we're sitting in, not in anger but in joy after winning? This is precisely what happened over the weekend during a Mortal Kombat 1 tournament, costing the winner their prize mone?y b??ecause they damaged expensive equipment.

For context, the CEO 2024 Fighting Game Championships took place recently at Daytona Beach in Florida. There were a number of fighting game tournaments; one of which was for Mortal Kombat 1. A player known as Dyloch went on to win the grand finals (as spotted by TheGamer), and decided the best way to celebrate his? victory was by throwing his chair out of the ri??ng.

Thankfully, no one was injured, but the chair did hit a very expensive light fixture. According to Alex Jebailey, the CEO of CEO Gaming, one of these fixtures costs approximately $2,992, and he even tweeted asking for Dyloch's PayPal info since "somebody’s paying for that broken light fixture and it’s not me." Apparently, Dyloch won $565 for winning the tournament, meaning he's not only lost all of it, but also an additional $2,427 out of his own pocket. While he did agree to "take responsibility for the light," Dyloch doesn't seem to broken up about not getting to keep the prize money if his post-match Tweet is anything to go by.

This isn't the only consequence of Dyloch's chair throwing, though. Jebailey has also threatened to ban anyone from future CEO tournaments should something like this happen again: "If ?one more person pops off throwing anything you will be banned from any event I ever do. This is a final warning to anyone in the future. Do not throw things." It's a perfectly reasonable request considering the risk of injury. Things would've been far more dire for Dyloch had he accidentally hit someone in the head with t??hat chair.

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Ever since I started following Yoshihiro Togashi's fantastic series Hunter x Hunter, I've wanted it to get the Dragon Ball FighterZ treatment. Now, in 2024, developer Eighting is showing off its take on a HxH tag fighter in Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact. It's a little differen?t than what I expected, but still has my absolute att??ention.

Eighting, for those who don't follow fighting games as closely as others, has been behind some notable cult-classic entries in the genre. The team worked on Fate/unlimited codes, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and notably, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. The tag DNA of MvC3 is apparent in Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact, which isn't just a three-on-three tag-team fighting game, but should look pretty familiar to anyone who's spent time with the Vs. series or games they've inspired.

Japanese esports organization CAG Osaka posted a video today (thanks, Gematsu) showcasing the Hunter x Hunter fighter. Nen Impact will be playable for the first time at Evo Japan this weekend, but before that, players from CAG—including GO1, a face you'll recognize from high-level DBFZ play—ran some matches for ??their YouTube. You can watch the footage below.

The power of Nen

Immediately, Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact has some familiar framework. There are three fighters on each team, with one out front and the other two able to hop in for assists or tag them out. A Super bar in the corner can be cashed in for big attacks. "Overgear" seems to be this game's version of X-Factor, a powerful mechanic that can enhance your on-screen fighter and grows in power as you lose teamm?ates.

What I'm really digging are the kits and styles of each character we're seeing so far. The roster is just six fairly safe picks right now: Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Hisoka, and Netero. Gon's got some big hits with his Rock-Paper-Scissors strikes, Killua's fast as heck, and Hisoka can pull off some tricks with his sticky gum. Kurapika, my personal favorite character, has some sick moves with his chains that remind me of Axl from Guilty Gear.

That's the good. On the flipside, animations are still looking a bit rough. Granted, it's early; Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact has not even locked in a release date yet, and we're looking at a six-fighter demo version. I had a similar wariness about early 2XKO footage, only to see it improve with new showings. Still, I hope Eighting is fine-tuning some of the presentation. Arc System Works set a really high bar for 3v3 anime tag fighters in Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Nen Impact will invariably get measured against it.

Right now, Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact gives me MvC3 vibes and, by extension, reminds me of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, an underrated gem of a tag fighter. Hopefully this take makes a real impact when it arrives. And if Eighting is?? taking any fighter requests for all those unfilled roster slots, I'm hoping for some Chimera Ants like Neferpitou or Meruem??.

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The name Project L was always going to be a placeholder, and today, Riot Games revealed the full name of its League of Legends fighting game: 2XKO. I have already mistyped it three times.

Revealed in a big push this morning, the shorter name is the new moniker for Riot's two-on-two tag fighter featuring the cast of its MOBA League of Legends. Alongside the name reveal, we got some proper gameplay footage of its cast, including Illaoi, who?? had been confirmed but not shown off as much as Ahri, Ekko, or the rest.

Executive producer Tom Cannon also shared an update on the road ahead for the newly minted 2XKO. The game w?ill make appearances at shows throughout this year, including Evo Japan in April. Cannon also hints at the possibility of "at-home" playtesting later this year, though those plans seem less set in stone.

Lastly, Riot is targeting a 2025 launch for 2XKO, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There's a sign-up live on the 2XKO site right now, if you want to opt into the chance of an at-home sess?ion.

What's in a name?

Honestly, I was always a fan of Project L as a moniker for this fighting game. Sure, it sounds in-progress, but I think that's fine. I'm scrat?ching my head a bit more at this shorter but slightly unwieldy abbr?eviation.

Hopefully it doesn't put a roadblock on the on-ramp, because 2XKO is looking pretty darn good. The two-on-two tag fighter had a great showing a?t last year's Evo in Las Vegas with a streaming showcase, and the possibility space of putting these traditionally M?OBA heroes in a fighting game space is exciting.

We'll be? waiting until at least later in the year for more to see this game though, and into 2025 for a full launch.

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It's a big day for fighting game fans, as the Evo Championship Series has locked in its main stage selection for a new year. Eight games will be featured across three days on the main stage at Evo 2024, including the likes of Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1, on July 19 through 21.

The news was announced today on a special stream, hosted by Vicious, MajinObama, and other members of the fighting game community. Though many games get played at Evo, either on stage or in side to?urnaments, or even in hotel lobbies and outside the venue, these are the titles that will take the spotlight in this year's event:

• Tekken 8
• Street Fighter 6
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Guilty Gear Strive
• The King of Fighters XV
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

The presence of Street Fighter 6 should be no surprise, given its record-breaking entrants from last year and incredible grand finals. Tekken 8 looks to carry forward the legacy of its series, and by all accounts it's doing well. It seems likely that these two will compete for the most entrants at this year's festivities in Las Vegas. Fellow newcomer Mortal Kombat 1 also shows up, carrying the NetherRealm torch in its Evo?? debut.

Guilty Gear Strive rounds out the expected giants, as the presumably largest 2D anime fighter around, and SNK gets an entrant in with The King of Fighters XV. Anime players get even more to play in Las Vegas, as Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes both secured slots.

The big draw for old fans and newcomers alike is the throwback game, an utter classic: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. This year's throwback game is one that means a lot to the history of fighting games, and Evo wi?ll be hosting a tournament celebrating the classic? title. With how much reverence there is for this one, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing who shows up for the next fight.

A new venue appears

There are more changes in store for Evo, including a new location. The West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center will now play host to Evo, and the show floor will be open all three days. Publisher booths, artist alley, and more will be ?open all three days, rather than just Friday or Saturday. The BYOC area will also apparently be larger than ever.

The Evo S??howcase returns for panels and publisher news again too, as does the Evo Community Stage. Plus, the Evo ticket will now get you into both the arena and the general show floor, which is a nice shift. All eight games will take place on the arena stage this year, so no more splitting it out.

Tickets go live at the Evo site, so you can find all the attendance info there if you want to show up live in-person. It's an overall fairly pr?edictable lineup, but that's by no means a bad thing; fighting games are really good right now, and the mixture of new entries and familiar standards here should hopefully make for a stellar Evo 2024.

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There was a moment this weekend, in the middle of a particularly lengthy set of Tekken 8 with a friend, where I remembered half the reason I love Tekken. It was a brut?ally clos??e bout, and this round came right down to the wire.

It was so close, in fact, that we initiated two slow-motion finishes. The Tekken team had implemented this feature for Tekken 7 as ??a way to highlight those nail-biter "who lands the hit" moments. We got two of them, and well, you can see for y??ourself how that went here:

Beautiful. Tekken is, for my money, one of the most consistently fun fighting games around. It's the sort of game that I think anyone can pick up and, within a few seconds, enjoy. Partly thanks to a relatively simplified control scheme, laid out around just four buttons, matches feel centered on the punches and kicks??, much more tangible and understandable elements to contend with than fireballs, massive floating swords, or other mechanics.

That's not to say Tekken is an easy game to learn because, my goodness, everyone will tell you that's not the case. Sure, it's easy to mash some buttons and have a good time in Tekken. But learning Tekken, improving proficiency, climbing the ladder? That's a different story altogether. And what I've felt over my first weekend playing Tekken 8 is that, while that climb is not any less daun??ting, each step is more helpfully laid out than ever.

Welcome to the King of Iron Fist

Going into Tekken 8, I wasn't sure who I would pick up and gel with; Asuka was my T7 main, though I'd just as easily bounce around to whoever caught my eye. I spent some time playing a round or two as every member of the T8 cast and gravitated towards Reina, ?the newcomer with a bit of Heihachi Mishima style in her moves and on-screen presence. I determined I was going to "get good at Reina.?" Oh boy.

It's important to note here that Reina is a fairly complex character. I wouldn't try and pit her against, say, the many stances of Lei Wulong. But she's a powerful, stance-heavy chara??cter who relies on both knowledge and dexterity. It's been a while since the words "Electric Wind God Fist" meant much to me, but it quickly became my world in the training lab.

So, after testing some ideas and really, really rough strings in matches against friends, I decided it was time to hit the lab. Combo challenges and other helpful tools have become commonplace in fighting games, and I was glad to see them in Tekken 8. Bandai Namco even has one of my favorite features, a percussive beat for button presses while watching a combo?? demo, so you can ??hear the timing. I've been able to internalize strings probably twice as fast as normal thanks to that alone.

What I was surprised to see, though, was the wealth of additional tools for learning in-g??ame. Because it's not just some combo challenges and a quick character dossier. Right there in the menu was something called Punishment Training, a phrase I've usually reserved for holidays and special occasions.

In Punishment Training, you can practice different options your character has to punish others. Your foe whiffs their punch? Here's a good combo-starter to hit them with. Get caught by a sweep? Have a rising jab to counter. It??'s all very easy to read and understand. Even better, unlike the combo challenges, these focus on practical application. They encourage you to read and respond in kind.

Play it back for me

The lab options alone are already great, but replays add the cherry on top. A feature that was added to Tekken 7 also returns for 8, the Replay Tips. While watching a replay in Tekken 8, the sys?tem provides automated advice, inform?ing you what options you could have resorted to in certain situations.

Now, in my own replays, some of these amount to "tech the throw, dummy." But I've already seen others get some really fascinating, insightful hints from th?e system on their own replays. Add in the ability to "take over" the replay, and yo??u've got a built-in training simulation, a what-if machine that makes it easy to spot-practice mistakes.

Now, I know that going into the lab and doing practice is key to getting better. I know this. But it's not always an easy thing to do, day a??fter day, on the road to getting better at something as complex and competitive as a one-on-one fighting game. So, having these tools lay out the methods for improvement so neatly and effectively really helps when it comes to options. Now, what about motivation?

The quest to become stronger

Traditionally, a big barrier to personal fighting game improvement isn't just the complexity, mechanical dexterity, or even the repetition; it can also be a social pressure. For some folks, myself included, it's draining to get off work, turn on the PlayStation, and get bodied by a King for an hour or two. Even if I know I'm learning, the "You Lose" screen gets old, especially if you?? know there's a human being on the other side.

Ultimately, the piece de resistance of all this, at least to me, is Arcade Quest. It's a new mode introduced for Tekken 8, as a sort of alternative story route. Rather than the cinematic, in-universe tale spun in the main Story Mode, Arcade Quest lets you make an extremely Xbox 360 avatar and go on a shonen anime journey to become the greatest Tekken player around, hot off the heels of Tekken 8's launch.

Yes, it's a bit meta. But it really, really works. Progression in Tekken 8's Arcade Quest inv??olves going to arcades and beating up the locals, the same way that Zoey? Handley infamously got employed here at Destructoid.

I've only played a little bit of Arcade Quest?, but I'm already enamored with the ways it so easily tricks me into enjoying the Ranked grind. Here, I'm fighting CPU opponents, made to look like real ones, with their own characters and skills. Over time, I can earn points and rank up, through a progression path that mirrors the Ranked mode online.

Everything is fundamentally the same, but it's removing the feeling of dropping repeat games to humans. Here, I can just grind against the CPU for a bit. There is, for whatever reason, less dread in the pit of my stomach booting up Arcade Quest than hopping into the Ranked queue. And if the ultimate goal is making my beautiful Nickelodeon-looking avatar a true champion in this fictional Tekken-obsessed world, all the better.

Ascending to Ruler, he thinks, wistfully

As I wrote above, I've pretty much settled on Reina. I firmly believe that, end of day, you should pick the character who's got the buttons you like to push the most. And Rein?a has good buttons. She's got this one move where you dash, and then uppercut, and then spin-kick in the air. I have not landed it once, but when I do, I hope it feels the way I imagine some people feel at the summits of mountains.

Really, that's what it's about. The climb. Much as I like to think I enjoy it, I do need those methods to convince me to pick up the stick (or controller, or hitbox) and stay with it. Tekken 8 makes that really easy. It's got incredible practice and learning tools. Plus, a single-player mode that wants you to feel like the protagonist in a Tekken brand-deal battle anime.

Fighting games have been having a bit of a renaissance over the last few years. Street Fighter is back in action, Guilty Gear hit its Strive, and even more niche entries like Melty Blood and Under Night have seen an uptick in visibility. It's good to see that Tekken is taking all that momentum from the long-running success of 7 and putting it towards 8. This isn't a review, per se; it's just me saying damn, it feels good to be playing some good-ass Tekken.

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Bandai Namco has issued an update this morning, addressing matchmaking errors and crashes that popped up on launch night for Tekken 8.

The latest entry in the Tekken series went live last night, and I hopped on for a few rounds with friends myself—said pals were playing on PC, and I was on PlayStation 5. It was quite surprising when we continuously r??an into issues with crashing while trying to create and run an online lobby match. Whether PC-to-PC, or on crossplay, both platforms kept seeing crashes.

It doesn't look like we were alone in this, either. Players were posting about it on various social forums, sites were starting to write about it, and Katsuhiro Harada himself made a statement. Per the Tekken official account, it was due to "a high concentration of users connecting to matching and competition servers." Which reads to me as, dang, Tekken 8 might have been a bit more popular at launch than they expected. Anecdotally, I saw?? it hovering in the top sellers of Steam last night, so that's something.

An update is live for Tekken 8 matchmaking

Now, this morning, the Tekken team says a fix is live, and online experiences ??"should now be much smoother."

"Errors and crashes that occurred during online matching and matches have been resolved by server modifications and enhancements," said Harada in a post this morning. "Thank you for your cooperation in reporting!"

That's good news for Tekken fans, including myself. Because honestly, when the game was live and working, I was having a blast with Tekken 8. I know we're in an upswing era for fighting games right now, but Tekken was the series that weathered the storm of harsher years for brawlers; Tekken 7 was, at least for me, always a respite durin??g leaner years for fighting ga?mes.

So legitimately, I'm hoping this fix bandages all the problems, because I'm quite eager to get back to working on my Jun Kazama. Here's hoping the servers are now stable enough to support some Good Ass Tekken.

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The release of Mortal Kombat 1 is nearly upon us! And, just in time for that, the official launch trailer has �well, launched! Included in this most recent trailer is a special focus on historic fighters Reiko (who was introduced in Mortal Kombat 4) in addition to Shang Tsung, who is, interestingly, a pre-order bonus.

As the trailer begins, we hear narration from presumably Liu Kang, who has replaced Raiden as a god of the new timeline. He then utters the most ironic phrase I have ever heard in a game trailer, explaining that he “was free to craft a new era of peace,�followed by about t??hree minutes and forty-five seconds of pure, unbridled evisceration.

In the trailer, we are shown a preview of the carnage that Reiko can dish out. Taking advantage of the new Kameo Fighters system, he takes a step back while the Kameo Fighter dishes out a boatload of pain. Then, only after brutally shattering the enemy fighter’s leg, Reiko re-enters the fray by sending a giant spear through their chest, pulling it out, only to send it right into their skull. Era of peace? Riiight.

Shang Tsung, on the other hand, seems just as lethal â€?if not moreso. In addition to showing off his devastating combos against Liu Kang, the trailer seems to suggest he’s up to his usual shenanigans and will be a significant force against the characters of this franchise-wise universe reset. To reiterate, it’d seem despite his presence in the game’s story, Shang Tsung will only be playable for those who pre-order Mortal Kombat 1, which releases on September 14 for PS5, Xbox Seri?es X, ?and Nintendo Switch. 

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Katsuhiro Harada, the director of Tekken 8 and long-time veteran of the series, has responded to what he refers to as "silly threats." In a recent tweet, he hit??s back at online trolls with a pretty lengthy statement about what harassment leads to.

In a recent post on Twitter, Harada decided to give his take on the threats that have been coming his way online. One such example comes from a no-named user who says they will hit the director "with a Burning Hammer" (a move used by Tekken wrestler King) if Tekken 8 doesn't feature Eddy Gordo.

//t?witter.com/Harada_TEKKE?N/status/1689456340564111361

Harada makes it clear that, serious or not, such threats affect he and "everyone at FGC" (fighting game community). In a three-point post, he outlines what comments like these leads to. Nu??mber one being that security is bumped up, which "increases operating costs and increases the bur??den on the players" who attend.

Motivation also decreases

He goes on to say that "company founders, board members, and lawyers 'Don't like to be intimidated'," and that he does no??t "adopt the views of tho??se who use 'We' when expressing their opinions," as though such people represent all fans.

The end result is that studios simply have no motivation to carry on making games when threats are being made. Tekken 8 is highly anticipated, and the last thing fans want or need is?? for the team to not want to keep working on it.

Yet still people persist. Immediately below Harada's tweet, one user says they will be spending their money elsewhere because companies like Bandai Namco easily forget the "narrow demographic who, mostly, go out of their way to afford" a "luxury product." Harada's response to this is a bit more... direct. So, as he's said before, don't ask him for shit.

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Last night in Las Vegas, many eyes were on Street Fighter 6. The newly launched entry in Capcom's fighting game series held the final slot of Grand Finals day at Evo 2023. With record entrants and an already warm reception, it's easy to say expectations were high. Still, I don't think we could have expected the stellar grand finals Street Fighter 6 got.

Let's set the stage a bit, first. The Evolution Championship Series, or Evo, is one of the most storied and respected fighting game tournaments around. Alongside its massive attendance, Evo is also an open tournament, so anyone can put up the entrance money and fight. To win Evo is to, by extrapolation, beat everyone at Evo. And with Street Fighter 6 garnering an all-time record in entrants, there was no shortage of talent on display.

Going into Sunday's Top 6, many giants had already fallen along the roadside. Former Evo and Capcom Cup champions littered the path to Sunday's stage in Mandalay Bay, with name?s like SonicFox, Dogura, Daigo, NuckleDu, GO1, Fuudo, and many more all eliminated.

The storylines for Sunday were all beautifully laid out. At the top stood Punk, an established competitor from Street Fighter V who was reportedly on a perfect streak through the bracket. Haitani bore the standard for Modern controls, utilizing the simplified control scheme to execute some brutal reactions with Chun-Li. AngryBird and Kakeru were also imposing threats, and even more heat lay down below in the loser's side of the double-elimination bracket. On one side, there was the legendary Tokido; the other, MenaRD, who took the top spot at CEO 2023 in Street Fighter 6. Essentially, by?? this point, there were no easy rounds.

Drive to win

The tone was set early with a nail-biter finish between AngryBird and Kakeru, as the former's Ken pressed to get in against the 'shmup-like projec?tiles of newcomer JP. This close battle led to a dominating first fight ?for Punk, taking a Winners Final berth 3-0 over Haitani. The Modern controls would soon fall to incredible play from MenaRD on Luke, and Tokido delivered a second Ken win over JP to advance forward.

At this point, the finals were already solid. But something shifted in the air, the moment MenaRD and Tokido took the stage. The pair decided to face off, seemingly recreating the Street Fighter Alpha 2 art, ahead of their Losers Semifinal bout.

//twitter.com/EVO/status/1688406396772261889

The atmosphere was electric from here on out. MenaRD unleashed Blanka, a sometimes-oddball pick he'd found success with, while Tokido fought back with an aggressive and impressive Ken?. Blanka-chan would win out, advancing MenaRD ahead to await the loser of AngryBird vs. Punk.

Punk's incredible run finally met two obstacles; first in AngryBird's still-impressive Ken, and again in a narrow loss to MenaRD's Blanka. At this point, MenaRD was on an incredible run through the losers' side of the bracket, while AngryBird stood ready to face this challenger. Both had outlasted some of the tournament's heaviest hitters, and the trophy was?? within reach.

Grand Finals played out beautifully, highlighting the strengths that bore each player there. MenaRD showed not just skill, but versatility, swapping between Blanka and Luke. AngryBird stayed nimble and adaptive while finding narrow openings in the space. The heightened drama played up all through a reset o??f the bracket and, ultimately, a win for AngryBird.

//twitter.com/EVO/status/1688428324597686273

Two players, whose highest Evo placements prior to Sunday were just outside the hallowed Top 8, put on an incredible competition. AngryBird seized the win in stirring fashion. And it was hard not to take notice that this was only the first year of Street Fighter 6.

On to the next challenger

In most years, Evo Grand Finals are usually a treat. But I really don't think Street Fighter 6 could've asked for a ??better first showing on the biggest stage in fighting games.

As I was watching the event unfold last night, our watch party kept remarking how different this felt from Street Fighter V. Its troubled launch put SFV off to a bad start, and though it would see support and updates, it never felt like it truly recovered, much less reach the heights of its predecessor. While we saw many great stories told on Street Fighter V's canvas, I ?don't feel like the game matched up to i??ts real-life narrative highs.

Last night, if anything, showed that Capcom might finally have a vehicle on its hands that can match its driver. The calculating decisions around Drive Gauge usage, the freedom for adaptation and reaction mid-series, and even some solid character variety—Ken as the only repeat main amongst the Top 6—all show Street Fighter 6 has sincere promise.

There's still a long road ahead. Every scene waxes and wanes, as countless other top-shelf games in the competitive space have shown. But it was really nice to close out Evo 2023 with some good-ass Street Fighter, full stop. And there looks to be many more battles ahead, on the path to Street Fighter 6's next top bracket at Evo.

You can catch the full VOD for Evo 2023's Grand Finals Sunday, including some fantastic Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and more, here.

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Developer French-Bread has officially announced its next entry in the Under Night series. French-Bread and Arc System Works will launch Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes in 2024 for PlaySt??ation, Nintendo Switch, and PC v??ia Steam.

Set as the sequel to the first Under Night In-Birth, UNIB II will feature the "final chapter" of the Hollow Night storyline that started over a decade ago with the original release. Under Night mixes light n?ovel story with fighting game action.

//youtu.be/m55Ju_OmSvU

As far as fighting games go, Under Night is squarely in the anime fighter subgenre and is a pretty enjoyable one, too. For Under Night In-Birth II, there will be an expanded move list, new charact?er abilities, and updates to the battle system. There's also a??n EXS button, which sounds like a beginner-friendly control scheme similar to auto-combos.

For fighting game players, the big news is that yes, Under Night In-Birth II will have rollback netcode. It's always nice to have, as it lets players meet up and fight online with a solid connection. It's quickly becoming the gold standard, but it's nice to see French-Bread and Arc System Works emphasize its inclu??sion.

Into the Under Night

Those at Evo 2023 this weekend will get to play some Under Night In-Birth II, as Arc System Works' booth is hosting gameplay demos. It's not the only brand-new fighting game in town, either. Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 8 and Riot Games' Project L are all in Las Vegas this weekend too. That's not even counting all?? the currently released fighting games at Evo, hosting tournaments.

It's going to be an exciting weekend for fighting game aficionados, for sure. I'm also pretty happy to see Under Night g?et a sequel like this. It's a fighter I frequently enjoy going back to, and I'm int?erested in seeing what French-Bread's got in the oven.

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes will head to PlayStation, Switch,? and PC sometime in 2024.

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If you've thought that playing fighting games with friends gets a bit too contentious, Riot Games is working on an answer. The League of Legends company showed off more footage of its in-development fighting game Project L today with the ??reveal of Duo Play, a co-op option for the tag-team fighting game.

Project L is a two-on-two tag fighter, similar to games like BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. This means each side fields two characters, picked out of the League of Legends universe of Runeterra, for its matches.

While you'd normally pilot these teams solo, Project L is also offering Duos, which lets two players team up and each handle an individual fighter. It basically turns Project L into a co-op tag fighter, ?where you can combo ??off each other, throw out assists, and tag in and out.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KalbPq3Ic4

This Duo Play is something that other tag fighters have done before, but does seem particularly well-suited to Project L. Aside from the fun tie to duo queuing in League, it could make the arena feel a bit approachable for newcomers. Alongside the breakdown video above, Riot also published a showmatch, where its developers showed off the Duo Play mode in Project L.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4a7UzySL9o

If this seems like it's up your alley and you also happen to be in Las Vegas for Evo 2023, then you're in luck. Riot will be hosting show floor demos of Project L at the big fighting game event, with four playable characters: Darius,?? Ahri,? Ekko, and one to-be-revealed character.

Squaring off

That's not the only Project L content that hit today, either. A bunch of fighting game players and community members apparently got a hands-on session with Project L recently, and were able to tal??k a bit about it today.

From the sounds of it, there are still some restrictions around how much they can say about the roster and characters available. But still, we can get a pretty good sense of how all the systems are coming together. Alongside Duo Play, there are some other neat concepts for the fighter, like a Capcom Vs. SNK 2-alike Groove system.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0NSqDLyMs

Project L has been in the works for quite some time now, and the team's been taking its time crafting this game. But I have to say, it looks like it's paying off. Everything here seems ready to entice a lot of players who don't often pick up fighting games, while still having some really nasty options for long-time competitors. The roster could be the cherry on top too, as League of Legends certainly doesn't have a shortage of champions to pick from. (I also secretly hope Riot pulls in a Valorant cameo or two.)

With the demo headed to Las Vegas and a super-secret surprise developer reveal scheduled for Evo 2023's Friday Showcase, I imagine we'll be hearing more from Riot soon. But it's nice to know that I won't necessarily have to always PvP my friends in Project L.

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Street Fighter 6's roster begins its expansion with a whirlwind

Capcom has announced that Rashid will be coming to Street Fighter 6 on July 24.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP0zYYpE5_o

Rashid is the first DLC addition to the game, and you can pick him up through the Year 1 Character P?ass. If you got the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition, you'll already be set.

Additionally, a special "Rashid Arrives!" Figh?ting pass will be added that has a Rental ?Fighter ticket, which will let you try out Rashid for an hour.

Rashid's Fighting Pass will also bring lots of other goodies such as gear for your avatar, a new emote, new music, a photo border, in-game cellphone wallpaper, stickers, and even title art. Everyone hated Street Fighter V for ?it?s absurd reliance on microtransactions, so players will be happy to learn that they can still get some free rewards too.

//twitter.com/StreetFighter/status/1?676124776765739009?s=20

The Turbulent Wind

He's a laid-back dude who's into all things tech and who uses the wind to gain mobility and create devastating attacks. Rashid first joined the franchise in the maligned Street Fighter V, so many of his workings have changed. The official Playstation blog teases?? that the new Rashid will remain an accessible fighter, but will feature various key differences, many o?f which with an emphasis on mobility.

For example, he will now feature a special move called Arabian Cyclone. Rashid will perform a spinning kick that creates a small whirlwind. The kick can transition into abilities that existed as V-Skills in SFV, and his whirlwind??s?? will allow Rashid to improve his neutral game and his combos.

He'll also have Arabian Skyhigh, a double-jump move that's apparently very likely to confuse opponents trying to predict his landing spot. Rashid looks like he'll be one of the more mobile characters in the game, as he'll also feature a move called Side Flip that players can combine with a Front Flip to put Rashid in the air again. Also, to complete his escape from his SFV roots, Rashid's V-Trigger I from the? previous game has become his Level? 2 Super, Ysaar.

More characters such as AKI, Ed, and Akuma will be joining the g?ame on an undisclosed date.

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Where there's Smoke...

A fan-favorite is confirmed to be returning to the Mortal Kombat grinder. Today's new trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 re??veals both Rain and Smoke will appear in the new entry.

Smoke is a well-liked member of the Lin Kuei, who finally gets a human re-debut in Liu Kang's new era. Here, Smoke is a fellow member of the Lin Kuei who joins wit?h Scorpion and Sub-Zero to defend Earthrealm.

Also arriving is Rain, a High Mage of Outworld who wields water magic. He's looking a bit more robed and wizard-lik??e, co?mpared to his original palette-swapped appearance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=66opZ1Go_ZA

Some Kameo fighters also make an appearance here, too. Scorpion pops up, of course. But the cyborg side of the Lin Kuei appears, too; Sektor and?? Cyrax are in as Kameos, as well as a human version of Frost.

For our two main roster fighters, both look pretty exce??llent. Smoke is obviously a highlight. His t?eleportation and quick jabs look fantastic, and that knife looks devastating in the X-ray attacks. Rain, meanwhile, is like a Waterbender that gets to actually do some damage with their aquatic magic. I really dig the big lightning ball attack that he can call down from a raincloud.

Kombat history

The Kameo fighters bring their own flavor too, a?nd it's nice to see the cyborgs appear. I was curious about whether they would. With a new era and re-envisioned versions of characters, having the robo-fighters reappear or not felt up in the air.

After playing it at SGF 2023, though, it definitely seemed like Kameos are NetherRealm's way of including more fan-favorites from its ever-expanding universe without having to make them fully fledged fighters right away. If it keeps up the nostalgia and klassic references, I could see this being a really enjoyable experience for long-time MK fans.

Mortal Kombat 1 arrives on September 19, 2023.

The post Mor?tal Kombat 1 trailer unleashes Smoke, Rain, a??nd more Kameos appeared first on Destructoid.

A lot of people will be Street Fighting

The latest Street Fighter has been out for just shy of a month now, and it sure seems like it's caught on. The current number of Evo registrants seems to back up this popularity too, as the tournament organizer confirms Street Fighter 6 is breaking both franchise and all-time Evo player count ??records.

Shared on social media, the Evolution Championship Series says Street Fighter 6 has officially?? broken both a franchise and al??l-time Evo record for competitors.

//twitter.com/EVO/status/1673466628636561408

Evo doesn't share how many players that is. But if we're judging by the previous record count of Street Fighter V at Evo 2016, that's over 5,000 registrants.

Sign-ups for Evo 2023 are still live for a little less than two weeks. Evo 2023 is set to run August?? 4 throu?gh 6 in Las Vegas, NV.

Back in the saddle again

I have to admit, it's nice to see Street Fighter thriving like this. Sure, Street Fighter V delivered some pretty great sets over the years. But it always felt like SFV couldn't get out from under its launch state.

Meanwhile, Street Fighter 6 has been an absolute grand slam. As Moyse put it so well, Street Fighter 6 is "a title that radiates excellence." And the players have been showing up, too. Alongside the big Evo numbers, this last week's CEO—where MenaRD took the top spot with both Luke and Blanka—also tallied up a ton of entrants.

Safe to say that Street Fighter 6 has made its impact on the scene. I'm curious to see what these numbers look like moving forward, after the launch year luster wars off. But this year's Evo debut for SF6 promises to be a big one.

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Welcome to the new era

NetherRealm Studios is rebooting the Mortal Kombat universe again with Mortal Kombat 1. The slightly confusingly named MK takes everything back to its origins, and then twists it. The characters?? and combat that have become enshrined in pop cultur??e history are still here, but with adjustments both big and small.

This feeling of old nostalgia blending into new ideas kept coming to my mind while playing Mortal Kombat 1. I got a chance to play some matches of MK1 as part of Summer Game Fest 2023, climbing the classic towers with each of the characters available. And while MK is looking ahead to a new future, there?'s still a piece of i??t that loves to honor the past.

[caption id="attachment_386534" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Here comes a Kameo

The biggest, most obvious addition to Mortal Kombat 1 is its Kameo Fighters. Rather than duking it out one-on-one, each player selects a main fighter—the one they'll primarily play as—and a tag-in Kameo Fighter. These characters can be called in to perform speci?al attack every so often, with a cooldown in-between uses.

To be clear, Mortal Kombat 1 is not becoming a tag fighter. These fighters don't have health bars, and can't be fully subbed in. In my playtim??e, I had Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Kenshi, and Kitana available as main characters. For Kameos, I could choose Kano,?? Sonya, or Jax.

[caption id="attachment_386535" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Calling in Kameos is easy enough. Hit R1, and they'll hop in to do an assist move. Additionally, different directions and inputs can change things up, like holding R1 to have Sonya charge up her energy projectile. Some can even have effects on both players,?? like Jax slamming the ground.

These Kameo fighters offer an interesting twist to the usual cadence of Kombat. Picking a certain fighter can help shore up another's weaknesses. Or, you can lean heavy into their? strengths. A pairing like Sub-Zero and Sonya can get cooking fast, or a Kitana / Kano duo can be a real pain to approach.

Differences like these help, as Mortal Kombat 1 is still an MK game at its core. I don't pretend to be particularly talented at Mortal Kombat; its story and characters are the draw for me, but I don't really dive deep into the competitive side of things. From that perspective, Mortal Kombat 1 feels a bit odd at first. It's a familiar-feeling game with sudden jolts of difference, thank??s to its Kameos.

[caption id="attachment_386538" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fire god walk with me

This strange sense feels thematically appropriate for Mortal Kombat 1, which takes place in Liu Kang's new era. If you didn't check out Mortal Kombat 11 or its DLC Aftermath (you really should), the story of NetherRealm's time-travel she?nanigans sees Liu Kang become a new god and reboot the universe.

It is the same universe, so many familiar faces return. But because of the shift, some things have changed. The most notable is the shift in dynamics between characters; Liu Kang is a Raiden-like figure, who seems to be maintaining order in his ne??w world.

The recent SGF trailer hints at other changes. Kitana seems to be attendant to Mileena, and Kun??g Lao is filling Liu Kang's shoes as Earthrealm's fighter. And Raiden is?... just some dude with lightning powers, I guess? I'm curious to see where all of this goes.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnVTPkCWzcI

Aside from shifting those roles, though, my gameplay at SGF showed that Mortal Kombat 1 still has some nostalgia for its roots. Sonya, Kano, and Jax all appear in throwback outfits, in what feels like an homage to the actual first Mortal Kombat. It's also worth mention that MK1 is absolutely ??gorgeous. Everything, from the character models and backgrounds to the brutal Fatalities (and the one Brutality ?I got by accident) look fantastic.

I will say, the Fatalities I saw didn't do too much for me. The almost-cartoonish, Itchy and Scratchy ones are more my style, and the ones I saw didn't quite hit that mark, ??outside of maybe Liu Kang's. There is, apparently, one where Jax gr?ows to massive proportions and stomps on someone. So that's pretty neat.

[caption id="attachment_386536" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

More-tal Kombat

My gameplay session largely consisted of seeing how the new Kameo fighters played. And for intense, competitive fans of MK, it does seem like the assist options could open up some interesting combo routes and options. It certainly felt great when everything clicked for me, and I got a smooth combo with both my ?main and Kameo fighter rolling.

For "kasual" fans, I think the appeal will be where it's been for those who like to dip in and out of NetherRealm's titles: the world of Mortal Kombat. The studio is starting from?? an interesting position, trying to play around with the established canon while building a new one. And that could be a pretty interesting universe to explore in gruesome, gory detail.

Mortal Kombat 1 will hit PS5, Xbox?? Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch on September 1??9.

The post Mortal Kombat 1 is a ??new era, but still loves its legacy appeared first on Destructoid.

So long to a troubled, but memorable iteration

_{[One of the community's most dedicated fighting game fans, Virtua Kazama, prepared a few words for the departure of Capcom's Street Fighter V, a game which will be remained for its notorious launch and divisive gameplay, but also for creating great tournament moments and, ultimately turning its fortunes around. - Moyse]}

Street Fighter V�where do I begin?

Seems just like yesterday when I wrote a blog about saying goodbye to SFIV, you came out with a rocky start. I remember back in 2016 while I was working at Best Buy that I got the game and played it despite how barebones the game came out. The game didn’t have a proper story mode until a few months later and that wasn’t good eithe??r. For the casual players, they didn’t get enough content, but the ?competitive players got what they needed.

The main gameplay mechanic that was introduced in SFV was the V-System, which gave three skills to use: V-Skill, V-Trigger, and V-Reversal. All of them use the V-Meter, which is completely separate from the Super meter. The base roster gave us 16 characters, including the mainstays returning from SFIV (Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Zangief, M. Bison (Dictator), Vega (Claw), Dhalsim, and Cammy), brand new characters (Necalli, Rashid, F.A.N.G., and Laura), and ch??aracters we haven’t ?seen in years (Birdie, Karin, R. Mika, and Charlie Nash).

A year before the release, us fans were able to try the game out through the beta, and yes: the beta would have some issues to work out in terms of online connectivity. But the gameplay did give us some concerns because it felt different compared to SFIV. For some, it was refreshing, because we didn??’t have to deal with the Focus Attacks and Ultras anymore, but for others, they weren’t too big a fan about the new gameplay itself.

It was a time when Street Fighter V went full speed on the eSports experience, having the game appear on tournaments on big networks like ESPN 2 and TBS for example. Yeah, EVO 2016 airing on ESPN 2 was a huge deal and it was a time to show the wo??rld what the FGC is made of.

It also had the hi?ghest number of entrants, with 5,000+ players at EVO 2016.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljUonlW402Q&a?mp;list=PLtQAiM1Y5luzZFPzuERYfWu3RsXF5spdc

Looking back, it was a mixed emotion. It had both the good with the FGC support, but it also had the bad with the casual fans that have been around since the beginning or newcomers who just want to have fu??n. I personally admit that I’ve lost my way as well since I thought that it was goin??g to be the new wave for the future of fighting games and I was wrong. Casual players were left high and dry due to the lack of single-player content that it had when it first came out.

It wasn’t until 2018 that things were about to turn around with Arcade Edition. The game received major changes from brand new moves, a fixed online experience, a revamped training mode, brand new interface graphics, two brand new gameplay modes, a second V–Trigger that everyone can use, and more. The best part about it is that it was a free update for those who already own SFV, which made it easier for us because we didn’t want to buy an update unless we wanted to play the game on PC or another console. Then again, it was only released for the PS4 and PC, followed by an coin-op release one year later with Street Fighter V: Type Arcade.

I do recall a time when SFV: Arcade Edition was out, there was an issue with the online play since Capcom attempted to try Rollback Netcode for the first time, and then someone from Brazil was able to fix the netcode without issue. Online issues aside, SFV: Arcade Edition was a total improvement over the first iteration of SFV. But it would not be the end.

Two years later, we would see the release of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. This would include an option to select a second V-Skill, as well as more balances and changes. Once Season 5 was re??leased, we were later introduced to ??another gameplay change with the V-Shift ability, which would serve as a predecessor to a certain mechanic that would later be used in a future game which should be out sooner than later.

Even when COVID hit, the game still managed to survive without issue as well. Capcom Pro Tour was relegated to online tournaments until 2022 when the situation became better. The final Capcom Cup for SFV happened on February 19, 2023 with Capcom Cup XI where MenaRD represented the Dominican Republic and won the tournament. It was hype overall!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=maxQhSYcMwI

Let’s also take a look at how much the roster evolved. Season 1, we had a lot of returning characters such as Balrog, Guile, Ibuki, and Juri returning from SF4, while two characters that we haven’t seen in a long time, Alex and Urien from SFIII, made their triumphant return.

Season 2, we had one returning character in the form of Akuma (Gouki), the official debuts of Ed (who appeared in SFIV as part of Balrog’s ending), Zeku (who first appeared in Street Fighter Alpha 2 as an NPC) and Kolin (Gill’s assistant from SFIII), the official debut of Menat (who was introduced to this game), and we saw the addition of Abigail, who was a boss character in Final Fight. 

By the time Season 3 came out, we also saw more fan-favorite characters return such as Blanka, Cody, Sagat, and Sakura (all returning from SFIV), while we saw the official debut of Falke and G. Season 4 saw more returning characters such as E. Honda, Poison and Seth (returning from SF4), the epic return of Gill from SFIII, the debut of Kage (another alter-ego of Ryu), and the addition of Lucia from Final Fight 3.

Lastly, when Season 5 came out, we had the return of Dan and Rose (returning from SFIV), the debut of Eleven (who is a prototype of Twelve from SFIII), the epic return of Oro from SFIII, the addition of Akira from Rival Schools (complete with her brother Daigo), and the debut of Luke, who would later become the new protagonist for Street Fighter 6. Overall, we ended Champion Edition with 46 characters total!

As we say goodbye to Street Fighter V, we will remember the good times and the challenging times that it had. I admit that the game didn’t have a proper launch the way it was intended and that it could have been a lot better if it had more content at launch, but it did allow them to learn severa??l lessons from the developer’s side such as listening to the feedback from both the casual and competi?tive communities.

Always remember that you can never leave the casual fans who don’t play fighting games competitively behind. It took you two updates, but you ?managed to improve over time and, ultimately, survive it all.

Street Fighter 6�It’s now your time to shine!

_{You can follow Virtua Kazama for FGC news and gameplay over on Twitch.}

The post Promoted Cblog: Farewell, Street Fighter V… appeared first on Destructoid.

The streets will get some fights soon

Capcom will be hosting an open beta for Street Fighter 6 ahead of it?s launch. The open beta will run from May 19 through May 21, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S,?? and PC via Steam.

To register and take part in the open beta, you'll need?? to register a Capcom ID and link your platform. You'll want to register early, because chances are high that the initial rush?? may be a lot.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAao7ooWhY

The cont??ent ??in the open beta will be the same as the second closed beta test. That includes avatar creation and character creation (though you can only create once), ranked matches, casual matches, battle hub matches, training mode, the game center, and more.

Eight playable characters will be in the op??en beta: Luke, Jamie, Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile,? Kimberly, Juri, and Ken.

Additionally, there will be cross-platform play, the special commentary features, and other features too. You can head over to link your ID and pre-register for the open beta here.

Taking it to the streets

It won't be long now until the new Street Fighter gets underway, and by all accounts so far, it's looking pretty strong. The matches I played locally at PAX East left a pretty strong impression on me already. And here's an excerpt of what our resident Street Fighter aficionado Chris Moyse had to say after his recent hands-on:

"With Street Fighter 6, Capcom is hoping to see its flagship fighting series, one that defined the genre itself, make a grand challenge for its (lost?) fighting game throne, offering fans old and new a fully-featured and engaging sequel that has learned from the mistakes of its past, while evolving its? entire pedigree for a bold and ele??ctrifying future."

You'll be able to get a sense of Street Fighter 6 yourself later this month with the open beta, running May 19 through 21. Then, Street Fighter 6 will officially launch on June 2.

The post Street? Fighter 6 is getting an open beta later this month appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to the World Tour

Capcom hosted a new digital showcase for Street Fighter 6 today, going into lengthy detail about what's in store for th??e next fighting game entry. We got a good look at what to expect, from fighting in the streets to travelling around the world.

Hosted by Lil' Wayne, who appeared just a handful of times (and sadly did not get confirmed as a fight commentator), the stream spent about 30 minutes running through all the features of Street Fighter 6. We even got confirmation of the first year's worth of DLC and a surprise demo drop for some of SF6's new features.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow46UZ0CCuQ

Here's the full rundown of everything we saw today??.

The World Tour

• A big feature of the showcase today was the World Tour mode, which lets you create a custom character and engage in an almost Yakuza-esque story mode. You wander the open world and take on battles, even initiating fights in the street.
• There's also a story side to it, featuring unique characters from throughout the Street Fighter canon.
• A key feature looks to be getting tutored by various fighters and learning their moves, while also getting to know them. Finally, Street Fighter has social links.
• My personal favorite feature is using certain signature moves, like E. Honda's headbutt and the Spinning Crane Kick, to traverse through the environment. This whole mode has an earnest silliness to it that I really enjoy.

[caption id="attachment_374630" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

The Battle Hub

• This arena lets you take your custom characters into the world and fight with them online. There are also some classic arcade cabs, if playing some older Street Fighter is more your style.
• Obviously, building out your own custom character for battles is a key component here.
• You can also make clubs, the Street Fighter 6 version of clans, with special attire and logos.

Getting into the fighting spirit

• Capcom also outlines some special features. As seen before, fighters can get dirty, sweaty, and have their outfits damaged as the fight goes on. This is optional, but it looks pretty good.
• A really cool accessibility option is the audio pings, that can tell someone distance between fighters as well as attack directions and special meter status. It's a really neat feature!
• There's also tutorials for combat and the new Drive system, as well as individual character info.
• Plus, a special offline-only Dynamic mode lets you just mash on buttons. Seems like a good option for parents with young kids.

Arcade mode

• For those craving a 'classic' fighting game single-player experience, yes, there is an Arcade mode.
• The story is told in stages, with special illustrations that feel like classic Street Fighter arcade cut-ins.
• There are special illustrations to collect for endings, too!

[caption id="attachment_374625" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

Versus Mode

• There are some neat Versus mode options, too. My favorite is the Team Battle, allowing you to set up multi-fighter matches. I always love these modes, so I'm very glad to see one here.
• Extreme Battles take it further, with special gimmicks and rulesets that you can customize. Because who hasn't wanted to fight in the middle of stampeding bulls?

Going online

• Custom rooms are back, holding up to 16 players at a time.
• You can also set up special machines for the room, all with their own rulesets. This seems like a neat way for friends to hang out and goof around, while still allowing for the casual and hardcore players alike to play how they want.
• Ranked match is back, with one-time rank-down protection, as well as character-specific and random-specific ranked matchmaking too.
• And if ranked is too stressful, casual matches are always around, too.

[caption id="attachment_374623" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

The new wave of fighters

• Capcom is already announcing the lineup of DLC for year one, with four characters set to arrive over the first year of Street Fighter 6.
• SFV's Rashid leads off this summer, then AKI in the autumn, Ed arriving in winter 2024, and Akuma in spring 2024.
• The Deluxe and Ultimate Edition of Street Fighter 6 will come with a year one pass.

The demo's out now

• A special demo, highlighting the character creation and World Tour mode, is out now on PlayStation consoles.
• It's set to show off some of the new features available, though sadly it doesn't look like there's online multiplayer in this one. Characters made here can transfer over to the main game, though.
• While PS5 and PS4 players can play it now, other platforms will have to wait until April 26 to get the demo.

That's all for today's surprisingly packed showcase. There's certainly a lot to do in this new game, but I'll admit, I'm digging how expansive this entry is compared to the launch states of others. Street Fighter 6 is due to a??rrive on June 2, 2023 for PlaySt??ation, Xbox, and PC.

The post Everything shown at today’s Street Fighter 6 showcase appeared first on Destructoid.

Some Street Fighter on 4/20

[Update: The show's about to begin! Check it out below!]

Capcom is hosting a new showcase for the upcoming Street Fighter 6 on April 20. The new and, from the sounds of it, final extended look at Street Fighter 6 will apparently have some "big news."

The show will air on Capcom's YouTube channel at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET on April 20. It's set to host over half an hour of "big news and announcements," all about the upcoming SF6.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow46UZ0CCuQ

Hosting the whole show will be Lil Wayne. It's an interesting pick, for sure. But it's not exactly the first time the artist has crossed over with Street Fighter, either.

According to the YouTube premiere description, there will be details on World Tour, the Battle Hub, and the Fighting Ground. Additionally, Capcom is promising some "big news at the end of the show." Honestly, some part of me wants that to be Lil Wayne joining the roster. If that happens, we can just hope it goes better than other cameos have.

Taking it to the streets

Since this is showcase has an air of finality to it, I'm hoping we get a full starting roster locked in for Street Fighter 6 as well. The lineup is strong so far, but I'm curious to see what else Capcom might have planned. There's certainly no shortage of fighters to include from throughout Street Fighter history.

This adds Capcom's next fighting game to a growing roster of game showcases and spotlights this month. Already, there's both a Tears of the Kingdom trailer and Final Fantasy XVI-centered State of Play set to air tomorrow. With Street Fighter 6 the week after, it's getting crowded. But with Zelda in May, and Street Fighter and Final Fantasy in June, there's really not a whole lot of ti???me left before launch.

That's all hitting ahead of the summer of gaming news, which is now fully without an E3 to tie it all together. Street Fighter 6 will arrive within the summer games showcase window anyways, with a launch date of June 2. But this is a solid reminder that we're really getting close to a window where some of?? the year's heavy-hitters will start to rol?l out.

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His shins will lead us to a better tomorrow

Bandai Namco has dropped us a hot fresh trailer today showing off the amazing coat and metal shinguards of Lars Alexandersson. Lars made his debut in Tekken 6, and has been touting h?is self-righteous sense? of justice ever since.

The illegitimate son of series veteran Heihachi Mishima, I’m not seeing the resemblance. He’s the leader of a rebel splinter group of the Tekken Force, Yggdrasil, and has been one of the main protagonists for both Tekken 6 and Tekken 7. Given his headlining status, he was pretty much a total shoo-in for the newest ite?ration.

//youtu.be/gIt9kFe5QX4

The trailer shows Lars throwing down against big cyborg, Jack-8, as well as his ha??lf-brother and fellow coat-haver Kazuma Mishima. To highlight his skill of fighting in a long coat, he’s shown effortlessly dispatching the competition using all manner of glowing kicks. His choice of fancy wh?ite clothing shows his confidence, not only in his fighting ability but also in his eating ability. True bravery.

Lars Alexandersson joins Bandai Namco’s growing collection of character trailers that have previously covered Jin Kazama, Marshall Law, Nina Williams, King, Paul Phoenix, and Kazuya Mishima. That leaves Jun? Kazama and Jack-8 still?? needing their spotlights.

Tekken 8 is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. It is tentatively ?expected to launch in early 2024.

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Bow to the King

There are many great characters in the Tekken series, but few as recognizable as King. The jaguar-masked wrestler has been a staple of Tekken since the series' beginning, delivering high-flying, devastating destruction. And King is looking absolutely fantastic in the latest Tekken 8 gameplay trailer.

Bandai Namco has been gradually spotlight each Tekken 8 combatant with a gameplay trailer of their own, and King is the newest one in the arena. W?hat more do I need to say? It's King. He's got powerful punches, leaping kicks, and chain combos with grapples that seem like they do some real, real damage. I spied a taunt of some kind as well, with King baring his chest, daring the opponent to take a swing and find? out what happens. The result? Not good for them.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OII3DNh4iaE

There's something electric about the way King plays that's just fun to watch. I'm normally not a grappler player, but King feels a bit more acrobatic than his throw-happy counterparts in games like Guilty Gear or Street Fighter. In the trailer, we can see the new Paul, with much less hair product than usual?, getting absolutely demolished by King??'s knee. It's fantastic.

Whether it's talking it up on the mic or delivering devastating destruction, King always brings it. If there's one constant in Tekken, as even characters like Jin start to change and adapt for Story Pur??poses, I'm glad it's King.

Tekken 8 is currently in developmen??t for the PlayStat??ion 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. No firm release date or window's been locked in yet.

Related: All Characters Confirmed for Tekken 8 on PrimaGames

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Devils and angel wings

Bandai Namco dropped a new trailer for Tekken 8 this morning, spotlighting another key character in the universe, Jin Kazama. The latest Tekken 8 teaser is all about the longtime s??eries lead and his moves, both new and old.

As Jin says in his new character trailer, "strength isn't everything." But he is looking pretty dang strong in the Tekken 8 engine. It looks like Jin is incorporating his devil powers? within his usual fighting style for some devastating hits.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkJQZ2Cz9-s

It's an interesting look for Jin that looks even better in the Tekken 8 arena. Tekken has usually impressed with its graphics, and that's held true for everything we've seen so far of the next entry in the? series. Everything from the electric punches and slow-motion zoom-ins to Jin's best "One-Winged Angel" pose looks fantastic already.

Fist meets fate

Bandai has been drip-feeding out more and more characters from Tekken 8, though we've mostly seen the usual suspects. Trailers have spotlighted other mainstays like Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams.

Still, even the familiar can be exciting when it looks as solid as Tekken 8 does. It's hard to get a gameplay gauge just from video, but it's looking like the next year or so could be a big one for fighting games. Street Fighter 6 is on the horizon, Project L is in development, and apparently Mortal Kombat 12 is happening too.

Tekken 8 still doesn't have a firm launch locked? in, b?ut it could be quite a time for fans of virtual scrappin' as all these new combatants enter the ring.

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Extremely good

Good Smile Company has some more Guilty Gear on the way, and this time, it's all about Bridget. A new plush of Bridget, the yo-yo wielding fighter who made her re-entrance in Guilty Gear Strive not too long ago, is on the way.

The Bridget plush specifically highlights her Guilty Gear Strive appearance, down to blue hood and handcuff belt. The plush will go on sale first in Japan, but the Good Smile U.S. shop has pre-orders open. The plush will run $40.99 and is expected to start rolling out for Cana??da and the U.S. in August 2023.

//twitter.com/GoodSmile??_US/status/1622429897695137792

The Bridget plush itself is 7.87 inches in height, made of polyester, and is super rad. So if you want to spotlight your main or just have a cu??te plush of a character you dig, it seems?? like a solid way to check that box.

Doll fighter

Bridget has been in the Guilty Gear series for quite a while, but made her return to the modern roster last year in Guilty Gear Strive . A major part of her storyline was coming to terms with her upbringing and identity, eventually affirming her own sense of self. And somehow, Goldlewis Dickinson plays ?a role in it.

It's a heartwarming story, and that popularity ties in well with her yo-yo-flinging arsenal of moves and Strive's absolu?tely incredible style. So whether you're a new Bridget main or a longtime fan, now you've got a pretty decent merch ??option to clip onto your bag before the next Evo rolls around.

Guilty Gear Strive is gearing up for another year of content, with an Xbox launch on the way. A cross-platform beta just took place too, so hopefully this means the online pool will be even larger as the year goes on. It's looking like there's still plenty of Strive on its way.

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