'Go home and be a family man'

It's 2021. Street Fighter V has been out for five ye?ars, it's receiving its final season of content, and a sequel appears to be on the horizon. What is it like to enter its highly competitive scene in this environment? Is it populated mostly by veterans who will absolutely destroy you? Or is there a healthy base of beginners? Here's what I learned on my journey through the ranks. 

For a little background, I'm not unfamiliar with fighting games. I've played plenty casually and got semi-serious about Dragon Ball FighterZ for a bit, but Street Fighter is a different beast. The unique combo timing and ground-based neutral game were foreig??n concepts to me. I had played it a bit on launch in 2016 but left due to not really understanding the game and a lack of content.

Credit to Capcom though, they have improved the game immensely since then. The new content and mechanics they've added have been stellar. Street Fighter V is in a? great spot and the community is the happiest it has been with the game in a long while. 

But what is it like to actually rank up in 2021? Well, the good news is that, according to data compiled by Reddit user LimitlessCSGOTV, m?ore than half of the players are in Rookie or Bronze. These numbers include inactive users as well but the player base seems to be healthy. 

The first ranks, Rookie and Bronze, are practically the same rank as it pertains to skill. Generally, the players in this rank have subpar fundamentals and are making? poor risk/reward deci??sions. You may run into the odd person that knows a combo or two, but past that, their game knowledge is low.

I don't mean this as admonishment, they're learning. You have to crack some eggs to make an omelette after all. But mistakes are mistakes and you can rise through these ranks quite quickly by taking advantage of them. These players will constantly whiff heavy buttons, leaving them vulnerable. They'll sweep frequently, allowing you to counter sweep or even get a bigger punish depending on spacing. I highly re??commend learning a small punish combo, or at the very least, pressing your fastest button so that you can take advantage of these situations.

Throws are also incredibly powerful in this rank because people don't know how to deal with them. There's a technique that can help with this, however: "delay ??teching." Delay teching is when you slightly delay pressing the throw button in situations where you would have to guess about defending from an attack or a throw. Delay teching allows you to cover both options.

Basically, if your opponent presses an?? attack button you will block and ??the throw tech won't come out as you are in block stun, but if your opponent opts to throw you the tech will come out just in time to cancel the throw, leaving you safe. To practice, set up a dummy recording in training mode. Set the dummy to attack on one recording and set the dummy to throw on another. Practice the timing of blocking while pressing the throw button so that you aren't hit by either option. Master this and you will seem like a brick wall to the other players in Bronze.

By far the biggest issue I see people in Bronze make is j??umping in far too frequently. Seriously, if you learn to anti-air consistently you will be out of Bronze in no time flat. Just playing a bit slower and more reactive will yield marvelous results. At this rank your opponent will hang themselves, you just need to supply the rope.

Most of the tips that applied to Bronze still apply to Silver, to a lesser extent — anti airing will get you far, but don't be surprised if the opponent starts to adapt. Players will often overextend. They'll start pressure that only really works if the opponent st?ops blocking after the first couple of hits. This can be defeated by simply taking a breather and just blocking. Afterwards the opponent will be highly vulnerable to a good punish combo. Silver players ?have a rough idea of their character's range but it's not refined. If you brush up on where your character's moves are effective, especially long-range pokes, you can go to town if the other player is in the corner.

Another tip: star??t paying attention to resources. If the opponent has a bar of meter and you are approaching on wake up??, do they have any options that allow them to wake up with an invincible move?

Begin to factor that into your risk/reward decision-making. One resource management tip in particular that has found me great success is seeing if V-Trigger is activated or not in situations where you can kill off of chip damage. It may sound like a si??tuation that doesn't come up a ton but in these ranks both players are making lots of mistakes and getting lots of non-optimal punishes. This leads to rounds that come down to very small life leads with lots of meter built up. If you initiate a blockstring and cancel into super your opponent's only option really is to V-Reversal. If they are in V-Trigger however, they can't, and you've locked down the win.

Gold can be tough. It felt to me like the biggest increase in player skill between ranks. An Ultra Gold player will beat an Ultra Silver player nine times out of ten, but I'm not certain the same could be said for an Ultra Silver vs an Ultra Bronze. What helped me get through Gold was having a well-thought-out offensive game plan. While Capcom has added in defensive options like V-Shift, Street Fighter V is an off??ense-oriented game. Keepin??g the pressure up is critical to succeeding in this rank, that doesn't mean overextending though. Knowing when you are safe to pressure and when you are not is pivotal.

Particularly for me, I had to work on my wake up pressure. Far too often I would g?et a knockdown and dash in to be ready when my opponent wakes up only to find ??that the dash left me vulnerable to attack.

The biggest hurdle I encountered in my entire time of playing manifested itself in Gold but it is relevant to all ranks and all games. That problem was tilting. Historically I'm not a player that gets too angry or upset at losses. If someone beat me in Dragon Ball FighterZ, I would rematch them until one of us had to leave, points be damned. There were things to learn there! But in making this video I have found myself tilting for the first time. I would go on these huge loss streaks, going from Ultra Gold t??o almost slipping back into Silver. Was I no longer an Ultra Gold player? Did I lose that knowledge and skill? Of course not, but I got into my own head and made it very difficult to focus or play right.

My lowest moment was in this slump. I had a huge loss streak, just absolutely draining my points, and who do I run into? AEW professional wrestler Kenny Omega. I had joked with friends a??bout running into him in ranked beca?use I knew he was in the same bracket as me but now it was happening!

What should have been a fun and cool experi??ence was actually miserable. I was mentally a wreck. He destroyed me in this set. Afterwards I decided to take a break and assess what my issue was. Why am I getting so mad all of a sudden?

The answer: my goals were setting me up fo?r failure. I had made my goal when I played to rank up. In doing so I put so much extra emphasis on the points, not what I learned in games, not making sure the stuff I practiced was being executed in the match, just the points. After realizing this I adjusted my goals. I set out to learn better wake up pressure. As I had mentioned previously, it was a weak point for me. This allowed me to grade my online matches on a scale. Sure, I lost, but I did a great job applying what I learned in training mode. This helped immensely, I found myself enjoying my time with the game again and not getting s?o upset at the losses. I quickly started winning again too. In part because of what I was learning in training mode but I do truly believe the bulk of it was because of the improved mental outlook. Soon I started amassing win streaks and draining other people of their points.

Then it happened: the rematch. I had once again encounte?red Kenny Omega. But I'm in a much better mood, certainly a better player overall...? And he still won. 2-1 was the final match count.

I wasn't upset this time, though. I was disappointed, of course — but I wa??????????????????????????sn't angry. I had played this set so much better than the last. I won a game this time! The improvements were tangible.

That's my biggest piece of advice to anyone playing any competitive game, really. If you find yourself getting angry at the losses, get frustrated with ranked mode. Take a step back and set actionable ? learning goals. Rate your matches based on how well you accomplish those goals in-game. And remember most of all, your skill determines your rank, not the other way around. Your value as a player is not determined by the symbol next to your name. This helped me greatly, I hope it can help you too.

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Helloooooo Nurse

You wait three seasons for Juri to get some decent clobber, and then an entire wardrobe comes along at once. Yes, in addition to the great, contest-winning outfits that dropped just last month, Street Fighter's spider-lovin' assassin is now getting her Kill Bill on as part of a pack of "Professional" DLC skins heade??d to Capcom's foremost fighting titl?e.

As revealed during this week's "Street Fighter V Spring Update," Juri, Vega (or "Claw" for all you pedants), and Seth will each receive new gear representative of the workforce. Juri is rocking a nurse's outfit with just more than a passing resemblance to Elle Driver, the deadly assassin played by Daryl Hannah in Tarantino's 2003 slash-fest. Of course, this outfit also recalls Skullgirls' own nefarious nurse, Vale??ntine, so I better name-check her too, lest I get "ACKSHUALLYD" in the comments.

Spanish psycho Vega slips out of his matador-style attire and into a '40s era suit, complete with tie, trenchcoat, and bandit mask. Frankly, he's a mere fedora away from becoming The Green Hornet, but perhaps a costume-altering button input will reveal a little more of what's hiding beneath that overcoat. Rounding out the trinity of togs is Seth, who adopts the same formal wear often seen in the SFIV boss's cinematics. While I'm definitely digging Seth waistcoat and cravat ensemble, those Power Rangers pants and boots have gotta go, pal.

The Professional costume pack will arrive April 19 as part of the Season V Premium Pass. Alternately, each outfit can be purchased for around $4 each. The same day will see the arrival of Italian psychic Rose, making her return to the ring as the second of Season V's DLC characters. Street Fighter V might be in its fina??l days, but it's going out in style.

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Rage in the Age

It has been a long time, a real long time, since we last saw mysterious warrior Oro step up to the plate. Being a hermit, I guess that's kind of his deal. But the Street Fighter III veteran is almost ready to take a break from his life of solitude to take a bre?ak on a few clavicles.

During yesterday's Street Fighter V Spring Update live stream, we finally got our first look at Capcom's resident 140-year-old in his all-new Champion Edition form. Having mastered the secrets of immortality, the old boy is looking pret?ty spritely - still rocking his ramshackle robe and ball-bag skin structure. Oro has also brought a little turtle along for the ride. Not content with just whooping your ass, he's gonna carry a little amphibian while he does it.

Oro retains much of his moveset from Street Fighter III, including his Nichirin Shou projectile, Oni Yanma uppercut, and amusin??g one-armed Niou Riki throw, wherein Oro slam his opponent to the ground multiple times with ease. His crafty double-jump also returns, offering Oro unpara?lleled air maneuverability over his foes.

Joining this arsenal are V-Trigger I, Onibi, which is a slow-moving, projectile-eating orb that offers Oro strong spatial defense while also applying confusing pressure on his opponent. V-Trigger II will see the return of Tengu Stone from SF III, as Or??o surrounds himself with random debris and items that can be linked into his combos?? for extra damage.

No specific release date was given for Oro, but he is expected to arrive at some point this summer. The third season five contender, Oro's release will follow Dan Hibiki and Rose, but will predate the release of Akira Kazama and season five's mystery final character. It's great to see one of Street Fighter's weirdest and quirkiest charact??ers return the rin?g, and with his unusual moveset, air mobility and new V-Triggers, Oro is sure to give these young whippersnappers a headache or three.

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You will see it coming

In all my years - decades - of playing Street Fighter, there is no one character I have put more time into than gaming's foremost fortune-teller, Rose. From her first appearance in 1995's Street Fighter Alpha, to her great, EVO-winning comeback in 2008's Street Fighter IV, I've poured months' worth of time into the Italian psychic. And that clock is set to keep turning, with Rose's long-awaited return in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.

As revealed during yesterdays' "Street Fighter V Spring Update" live stream, Rose's high-fashion heels a??re set to come click-clacking into battle on April 19. The solemn, tragic diva will return to the ring armed with her trusty scarf, her mastery of Soul Power, and more than a few t?ubs of hair gel.

Notably, for the first time, Rose will truly use the power of the Tarot in battle, as her V-Trigger I ability will afford her the use of a selection of cards, which can be used to either buff herself or apply de-buffs to the opponent. This mechanic alone offers Rose a tactical depth that is missing from so many fighters on the SFV roster - welcome creativity that bodes well for the design of future iterations in the franchise.

V-Trigger II sees the return of Rose's classic "Soul Satellite" attack, an orbiting sphere of Soul Power that can be smartly incorporated into combos to increase their length and damage. When you add into the mix Rose's new V-Skill - a teleport with multiple landing spots - you have what could be the deepest iteration of Rose that the franchise has seen in years... perhaps ever. You can see all of these skills in action in the video above, along with Rose's new win pose, which feature Tarot portraits of various Street Fighter characters...

Wait... Is that C. Viper?.. Hmm...

Rose arrives as the second DLC character from Street Fighter V's fifth and final season of content, following the return of goofball Dan Hibiki last month, and ahead of Street Fighter III hermit Oro, Rival Schools' biker girl Akira, and the mysterious fifth contender. I can't help but be disappointed that Rose has arrived so late in SFV's lifetime - the literal twilight year, in fact. But at least she's coming in a style befitting her exquisite nature, and will hopefully receive priority come the arrival of Street Fighter VI.

After all, it's in the cards...

The post It’s in the cards: Rose returns in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition April 19 appeared first on Destructoid.

Rival Schools star makes her grand return

Capcom has released the first teasing look at Rival Schools' Akira Kazama making her distinct presence felt in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. The teenage biker gal will step back into the ring for the first time in decades, but her inimitable and impactful martial-arts style to Street Fighter's roster of sluggers.

As you can see from the above trailer, the rest has done Ms. Kazama the world of good. Capcom has bestowed Akira a super cool and classy new model, while her fighting style perfectly reflects the very deliberate and hard-hitting pseudo-karate that has always been our girl's trademark, (including aerial combos!) As a fun nod to her roots, big brother Daigo pops in to lend a hand in a welcome cameo. Even at this early stage, Akira is looking awesome. Good lord, would you bring back Rival Schools?

Akira Kazama will join the Street Fighter V: Champion Edition roster later this year as one of Season 5's DLC characters. Next in line for a dust-up is Street Fighter veteran and fortune-teller beyond compare, Rose, who will launch in-game on April 19. Rose will be followed by Street Fighter III's mysterious hermit Oro sometime this summer. A fifth and final D?LC character will arrive at the end of the year, though their identity remains a mystery.

Oh, and don't forget, Akira will be making a special appearance in the Street Fighter comic this summer!

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Pick a card, any card

Fans of Street Fighter Alpha's Rose and Street Fighter III's Oro won't have too much longer to wait to see the characters make their grand return. Capcom has announced a new live stream, where the developer will show off both characters in their Street Fighter V form.

The Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Spring Update will take place on Tuesday, April 6 at 15:00 PT / 18:00 ET / 23:00 BST and will be viewable on Capcom's YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook channels. The stream will feature an in-depth look at Rose, spotlighting the Italian fortune-teller's range of Soul Power attacks, and will also give us our first SFV glimpse of the weird, boneless Oro. Both characters will arrive this year as part of SFV's fifth and final season of content.

Rose has been my Street Fighter main since her debut in 1995, so I'm very much looking forward to her scarf-twirling return. It will be interesting to see what Oro - making his first playable in-game appearance since 1999's Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - brings to Street Fighter V's hyper-aggr??essive playstyle. I can't wait to see both in action!

The #SFV Spring Update show is coming your way!

Join us and special guests for updates on Season 5, Rose, Oro, and more! #SFVSpringUpdate

🔔 //t.co/Go1l4amv9f
📆 April 6, 2021
🕘 3:00PM PDT / 11:00PM BST pic.twitter.com/ebRvccG0SQ

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) March 29, 2021

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'Storing fireballs' my ass, McBain

Capcom has released two brand new skins as DLC for its flagship scrapper Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Both outfits belong to slick-kickin' antagonist Juri Han, chosen as the winning entries in a costume-designing contest he?ld by the publisher back in?? 2020. The outfits are available for a couple of bucks each, or are included in the latest Premium Pass.

The Street Fighter community, jam-packed with talented artists, came through with an amazing collection of costumes for a variety of SFV's World Warriors. When the finalists were put to a public vote, however, the #JuriFeet army came out en masse, and both winning entries now hang in the Korean assassin's wardrobe. Admittedly, it would have offered more variety to incorporate a "one finalist per character" ruling, especially given how awesome some of the other entries were. But what's done is done.

The first outfit - as designed by Steven "JNxC" La - is an ensemble similar to that of a high-ranking Shadaloo official, complete with M. Bison style cap and a torn uniform. The look is completed with fingerless gloves and mismatched toeless leggings. Juri's secondary new threads - as designed by second winner "Gar" - sees Ms. Han get her gang boss on, with an intimidating set of robes, spiked heels and chest wraps that wouldn't be out of place in Toei gangster movie from the mid-1970s. Somebody get this girl a wood??en sword.

Frankly, I'm gonna see both of these outfits as a reward to Juri mains for putting up with Capcom's disinterest in the character since her SFV arrival way back i?n 2016. While Juri remains an absolute motherfucker in her deliciously?? dark attitude, it has been an uphill battle competing against the mid-to-high tiers. Characters such as Cammy and Ibuki absolutely run rings around Juri, while she wrestles with her complex-for-the-sake-of-complex gimmicks and "clearly-an-overhead-but-lol-no" attacks.

Don't get me wrong, in expert players' hands, (for example, Justakid, AiAi, or TheRedGambit), Juri can be a formidable, dangerous opponent. But for yer jobber pal Moyse, it's mostly been a case of working ten times harder for four times the reward, especially when compared to my success as Laura or Karin. Despite her cool style, unique aesthetic, and alluring, femme-fatale nature, Juri has languished consistently as one of SFV's weakest characters. So I'm gonna take these new outfits a??s my prize for ALWAYS BELIEVING.

Even with Poison on the roster and my long-time Street Fighter main, Rose, on the horizon. I thi??nk I'm still going to continue with The Struggle. I just can't quit Juri. She has her claws into me. When the stars align, she can be hella satisfying to play, but there's no denying that you basically have to be a loyalist to stick to her. Or failing that, simply a sadist... maybe that e??xplains why I fell for her in the first place.

"Alright, let's make this a lot of fun."

Get the #SFVCostumeDesignContest winners' Juri costumes star??ting M??ar 18! 🕷💀

These costumes in #SFV can be purchased as a part of the Season 5 Premium Pass, in-store for $1.99, or obtained with 40K FM. pic.twitter.com/4wrBtAZzfK

�Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) March 16, 2021

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Spoilers: I'm not

Yesterday, in true Street Fighter V fashion, word was leaked ahead of Capcom's Winter Update stream ??that brand new character "Eleven" was set to be ??revealed as season five's unannounced DLC star. This turned out not to be the case, as it has become common knowledge that Eleven is, in fact, a "bonus character" - offered to players who pick up the season five Character Pass or new Premium Pass.

But who is Eleven? Well, in basic lore terms, Eleven is a prototype developed by God-bothering megalomaniac Gill - an amorphous, shapeshifting experiment and the precursor to Street Fighter III's Twelve. This shapeshifting ability is reflected in Eleven's playstyle, as it will be SFV's "mimic" character. That is to say, Eleven will adopt the animations and moveset of a random character from SFV's 40-strong roster before each and every bout.

So, when you select Eleven, you might be selecting Bison, or Rashid, or Falke, or Abigail - with Eleven altering in size and shape to reflect each change. Essentially, to pick Eleven is to truly show off your skill, stepping into the ring as a randomized member of the Street Fighter V roster. Random Select with its own unique persona, more or less. Eleven will only be able to morph into characters the player has purchased, so it can't be used as a way to play as DLC characters the player doesn't own. Never change, Capcom... or maybe do.

The Street Fighter V: Champion Editon Winter Update stream offered fans a first look at the SFV iteration of Rose, as well as a breakdown of Dan Hibiki, who arrives in-game on February 22. We also got to see a new training stage, and the new invincible backdash mechanic known as V-Shift. Street Fighter V is most assuredly facing its sunset, but keep those fists taped, as there's clearly still a helluva lot of throwdowns to be had.

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You wanna step outside?

Capcom's flagship fighting title Street Fighter V: Champion Edition has been graced with another free trial. From today until February 25, PS4 players can?? download a special "trial edition" of the one-on-one fighter from the PlayStation Store before throwing fists and feet in both on and offline warfare.

The trial includes every single character from seasons one through four, amounting to a grand total of? 40 fighters. So whether you're a fan of Ryu or Chun-Li, Guile or Alex, Sakura, Falke, or even new weirdo on the block G, you can take your favorites out for a bout of bone-crunching mayhem. Players require a PlayStation Plus account in order to to fight online, and be sure to specifically download the "Trial Edition" of SFV from the PlayStation Store.

Earlier today, Capcom hosted its Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Winter Update presentation, where it previewed new DLC characters Dan and Rose, as well as a new training stage, and an interesting new mechanic called V-Shift, all of which should hopefully help Street Fighter V go out wit??h a bang as it enters its twilight phase.

Play as all characters from Season 1-4 in the #StreetFighter V: Champion Edition Free Trial happening right now on #PS4!

Trial lasts through Feb 24!
👊 //t.co/Yt9A3d5iKB pic.twitter.com/Fu4bOOjgGQ

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) February 10, 2021

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And the invincible backdash returns

As part of this morning's Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Winter Update presentation, Capcom producers Takayuki Nakayama and Shuhei Matsumoto announced that the master of Saikyo-Style, Dan Hibiki, will kick off SFV's fifth and final season of content on February 22. Dan will be joined by fellow Street Fighter Alpha alumni Rose, Street Fighter III's Oro, Rival Schools' Akira, and a mystery fifth competitor at a ?later date.

Perhaps more interestingly is the apparent inclusion of the recently leaked fighter "Eleven" who does not appear to be the character pass' unnamed season five fighter. Instead - at least according to the above graphic which was displayed during the stream - Eleven will be a "Bonus Fighter" for players who purchase the ???season five Character Pass. This suggests that season five's mystery character is somebody else entirely. C. Viper still has a chance!

You can check out the full presentation below, which includes an early build preview of Rose, a breakdown on Dan Hibiki, a look at the brand new training stage, and the first appearance of SFV's new battle mechanic "V-Shift" which allows players to spend a bar of V-Gauge to perform an invincible backdash, much like that of Street Fighter IV.

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Bet you didn't see that coming

Today, Capcom offered up a slew of new information regarding its best-selling fighting title Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. In a presentation stream held this morning, producers Takayuki Nakayama and Shuhei Matsumoto offered updates on the one-on-one fight?er's fi??fth and final season.

The stream opened with the first-ever preview of the Street Fighter V iteration of Rose who will arrive as season five's second DLC character, the Italian fortune teller will be accompanied by a new replication of her classic Street Fighter Alpha stage "Marina of Fortune." In footage of an early build of Rose, we see that her tradem??ark slide and "Soul Piede" normals are in effect, as are her "Soul Spark" and "Soul Spiral" specials.

"Soul Throw," however, has been replaced by a new anti-air special, "Soul Bind", which sees Rose keep her heels planted firmly on the ground, hooking her oppone??nt out of the sky with her scarf. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, Rose has been afforded a new air variant of "Soul Spark", which launches in a downward trajectory ala Akuma's air fireball. Much like her protege Menat, Rose' new move "Soul Punish" allows her to conjure up Soul Orbs that remain on the battlefield as obstacles.

When it comes to V-skills, Rose's first V-skill  "Tarot Card", calls upon her fortune-telling ways, as she uses an oversized card to apply resource nerfs to her opponent. V-Skill II will be familiar to Street Fighter IV players, as "Soul Satellite" returns, with Rose surrounding herself in Soul Power for a limited time. Rose's first V-Tr??igger allows the medium to teleport across the playfield in the blink of an eye, relocating in almost any position the player chooses. V-Trigger 2 sees the return of her classic Super, "Soul Illusion" - conjuring up multiple Roses for custom combo potential.

Rose has been my Street Fighter "main" since her earlier 1990s appearances but this combination of her classic and new maneuvers - complete with her new zoning and space occupation strategies - present fresh opportunities for the veteran character and look pretty intriguing. I can't wait to get Street Fighter's resident psychic back in the ring.

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I'm hoping it's the 'Juri Wins' mechanic

Capcom has announced that it will be hosting a live stream next week for its flagship fighting title Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. The winter update stream will go live on Thursday, February 11 at 09:00 PT / 12:00 ET / 18:00 BST on Capcom's official Twitch and YouTube channels.

The stream is expected to delve further into upcoming events and DLC as it pertains to Street Fighter V's fifth and final season. The stream will feature a showcase for its next DLC fighter Dan Hibiki, and will also unveil a brand new mechanic. Additionally, the team will address SFV's esports plans for 2021, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, I wouldn't be surprised? if it isn't particularly good news.

Street Fighter V season five will see one last batch of World Warriors added to the fighter's meaty roster. Joining Dan will be Street Fighter Alpha's Rose, Street Fighter III's Oro, Rival Schools guest star Akira, and a mystery fifth character. This new season will see SFV enter its twilight period, with plans for the next entr??y in the e??nduring fighting franchise already well underway.

The #SFV Winter Update show is coming your way!

Join us and special guests for updates on Season 5, Dan, a new gameplay mechanic, eSports news and more! #SFVWinterUpdate

🔔 //t.co/Go1l4amv9f
📆 Feb 11, 2021
🕘 9:00AM PST pic.twitter.com/kWrLS4Zi8w

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) February 2, 2021

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Hokuto no Karin

Capcom has revealed that Street Fighter V's hoity-toity warrior Karin is set to receive a new costume in the near future. This one is something a little special, as it will see the upper-class madam kit herself out in the style of Hokuto, one of the lead characters from Arika's Fighting EX Layer.

As fighting game fans will be aware, this crossover is something of a "return to roots" deal for both franchises. Fighting EX Layer is a title spawned out of the characters that appeared in Arika's Street Fighter EX series in the mid-'90s, which re-ima?g??ined the classic 2D fighting title in 3D form.

Since those heady days, licensing troubles have kept Arika's characters from turning up in mainline Street Fighter titles, so this Hokuto DLC, even if merely a new skin, is quite a momentous event - especially given that last month saw another FEXL character, Kairi, lend their togs to poster boy Ryu. Whether these collaborations lead to further Arika character input in future Street Fighter games remains to be seen, but one can hope.

The Hokuto costume goes live in Street Fighter V today. It is expected to be available as part of the game's Extra Battle reward system.

✋ Chugeki-Hoh! ✋

Transform Karin into Hokuto with this Fighting EX Layer Crossover Costume, available starting Oct 13! pic.twitter.com/dIyxWSxz2X

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) October 12, 2020

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CROSS(over) COUNTER!

Last week, Capcom released details regarding the fifth, (and apparently final), season of DLC for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Among the fighters joining the already 40-strong roster are goofball Dan Hibiki, mysterious hermit Oro, Rival Schools biker Akira Kazama, and my personal long-time Street Fighter main, Rose.

However, it was also announced that a fifth and final world warrior would be added to the mix, but Capcom remained tight-lipped as to this character's identity. There have been numerous names bandied about SFV in recent years, including special agent C. Viper, grumpy fighting gal Makoto, Final Fight's Sodom, and sultry Darkstalkers princess Morrigan, any of whom would certainly fit the b?ill nicely.

But let's open the floor to you, our beloved community. Who do you think should be the final roster addition to Street Fighter V? Would you pick a classic world warrior, another crossover character, a returning boss, Tekken guest, or? someone else entirely? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts, then sit back and prepare f?or the anti-climactic reveal of El Fuerte.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC.

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United by Fate

Capcom - with an assist from AEW star Kenny Omega - has revealed a brand new batch of content headed to Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, in wha??t will be ??the competitive fighting game's fifth - and reportedly final - season.

In announcements made during today's Summer Update live stream, Season V will see SFV's 40-strong roster joined by Street Fighter III's bizarre hermit Oro, Street Fighter Zero doofus Dan Hibiki and, my long-time "main," the glamourous fortune-teller Rose. Rounding out this quartet, from the awesome Rival Schools, is badass biker gal Akira Kazama. A fifth and final character will b??e revealed ?at a later date.

Courtesy of PlayStation Blog, here's some work-in-progress footage of Dan in actio??n.

As you can s?ee from the schedule below, the new characters will be parsed out as DLC downloads across the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. Als?o of note are the inclusion of new stages, battle mechanics, balance changes and, of course, a wardrobe of new costumes.

Also announced during the stream, The Street Fighter League will be entering its third season, opening up the borders to allow international competition. Beginning in early 2021, The Street Fighter League will see the best in the world battling it out, with the finals taking place at the 2021 Capcom Cup.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC. As of today, players can check out the fighter and its entire roster, free-of-charge, for the next fortnight.

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While you're staying home being a family man

Street Fighter V has seriously grown in scope and scale since its somewhat bland launch back in February 2016, and with another season of content on the horizon, Capcom's flagship fighter isn't ready to go down for the count just yet. If you fancied seeing the state of play with Ryu and co. then the next fortnight will provide you with just such ?an opportunity.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition will be receiving a two-week free trial from August 5, allowing all players access to the entire roster of all 40 fighters. No details have been revealed as to what modes will be available in the trial, but it stands to reason that practice and online play will be available. Full details will be revealed by Capcom during a special Street Fighter V live stream on August 5, wherein the developer/publisher will be announcing some of the new content headed to SFV's fifth - and seemingly final - season.

I make no bones about my up-and-down relationship with SFV. Specifically in regards to its controversies, penny-pinching, awful gacha-style mechanics, and bullshit advertising ideas, it's the most disappointing entry in the series. But wh??en it comes to actually throwing hands and its expansive superstar roster, it's still a riot, and we??ll worth checking out.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC.

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FGC comes together for BLM

As America and other nations continue to protest the killing of?? Minneapolis resident George Floyd, urgently calling for the eradication of racism within law enforcement, communities in and around t??he gaming industry have come together to raise funds for Black Lives Matter and associated charities.

On Monday, the Street Fighter subreddit hosted an impromptu Street Fighter V tournament, allowing viewers to donate money to the cause while watching over 100 players duke it out in Capcom's fighter. r/StreetFighter administrator Joe Munday hosted the event, getting the ball rolling with a donation of $200. Within hours, the total skyrocketed to $12,000, which includes donations from pro-players such as Justin Wong and Carl "PerfectLegend" White. The sum currently stands at just over $17,500.

Players who participated in the tournament were able to designate a charity to benefit from the donations. The tournament was eventually won by player Kevin "DualKevin" Barrios, who nominated Minnesotan organisation Black Visions Collective. Ultimately, ?so much mo?ney was raised from the tournament that it was decided the grand total would be divided among several BLM charities.

If you want to check out the action, then the VOD is available to watch on the Reddit Fighting Twitch channel. Further donations are applicable at the Black Lives Matter Charity Tournament Matcherino page.

Street Fighter event benefiting Black Lives Matter demolishes fund e?xpectati?ons [Kotaku]

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Season V details to be revealed later this summer

Capcom has revealed plans to release one final season of DLC content for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. "Season V" will add five more characters and three new stages to the developer??'s?? flagship fighter, adding to its now expansive roster.

No details pertaining to the new content were released or even teased, with the developer/publisher simply stating that more will be revealed late summer. This would suggest that Season V - as with previous seasons - will likely kick off at the start of the new year, giving Street Fighter V a final burst of adrenaline as the title enters its fifth ye??ar of knock-down, drag-o??ut action.

Capcom then went on to announce a new Costume Contest. From now until July 21, budding coteries can design their own bespoke outfit for any member of the Street Fighter V roster. Two winners will see their outfits realised within the game itself. Grab yo' tape measure and head on over to the official competition website for further details. Speaking of style, every character on the 40-strong roster has received a new alternate colour as a "token of appreciation" for the community's support.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition developer blog [Official]

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Capcom continues efforts to improve flagship fighter

[Update: The matchmaking update is now live, you can find the official patch notes right here.]

Capcom will release a new update for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition today, specifically designed to improve the game's online matchm??aking.

While the publisher is yet to release patch notes, player hopes are that it will not only reduce the time it takes to find an opponent on??line, but that it will also closer match players of similar skill levels. As a "matchmaking" update and not a "netcode" update, it is? not particularly expected to improve online stability, but rather facilitate matches happening in the first place.

If it works, then it's a step in the right direction for Capcom's hot 'n' cold fighter, which has seen a slew of issues ever since its initial release back in 2016. While the SFV roster and gameplay is stacked, (the game itself is the best its ever been), it's taken a long time to reach this point, with the developer still tweaking technical elements to find the sweet spot of a slick online experience. Still, support is support, and here's hoping today's patch further improves SFV for its global community.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC.

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Controversial PC mod no longer active

[Update: Capcom has released patch notes to accompany the February 18 update. They can be found over at the CFN website right here. Community reception to the new patch continues to be mixed.]

Street Fighter V fans were on tenterhooks this week with the sudden news that a "netcode adjustment" was headed to ?their favou?rite fighting game, assuming that some of the lag problems plaguing Capcom's fighter were finally about to be put down for the count.

But now the patch is live, it is being reported that said adjustment has blocked a fan-made fix to the problem. The PC mod, created by Reddit user Altimor, worked by attempting to closer sync packet speeds between opponents, thus preventing the "teleporting" problem that SFV has been facing online. While many celebrated the success of the mod, including notable FGC names, others were concerned that it caused slowdown, and that ??it might give PC players an unfair advantage during cross-play with PS4 players.

So when Street Fighter Producer Yoshinori Ono announced last week that the "netcode adjustment" was incoming, fans naturally - or perhap??s optimistically - assumed that Altimor's mod had forced Capcom's hand, pushing the developer to take action and fix the online woes itself.

While reports are greatly varied on whether the official patch has actually improved online play, one confirmed result of its implementation is locking out players who have Altimor's mod installed, (though it should be noted no-one is being banned, SFV just simply won't launch until the mod is removed). A vague message by Ono fails to state with any specificity whether Cap?com h?as made any changes to the game's netcode, or simply broken the mod and left it at that.

This has led to criticism from many Street Fighter community members. Popular streamer Maximilian Dood noted his disappointment on Twitter, while pro-player Chris Tartarian simply called Capcom's move "the biggest fail in the history of gaming." On a new episode of Ultrachen TV, commentators James Chen and David Graham simply looked utterly exhausted as they realised the news.

It's understandable that Capcom, (or an??y major publisher for that matter), would not want players fiddling with the code and applying their own patches. But when a bedroom coder is attempting to fix the issue for the whole community, breaking said mod without clearly implementing and communicating an official fix, (if any), is a move that will inevitably discourage your audience at best and infuriate them at worst.

Capcom launches Street Fighter V netcode fix - breaks?? mods [Hotspawn]

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The Juri's Out

Capcom is giving players the chance to check out the fully-updated edition of its flagship fighting game Street Fighter V over the next few days. Until February 9, both PS4 and PC users can run around in Championship Edition? for? free, taking a gander at the many changes applied to the game since its rickety launch back in 2016.

A whopping 39 characters will be unlocked for all players - that's the base roster and all DLC characters to date. Not included is returning kill-bot Seth, who will arrive in-game February 14. Practice Mode and Online VS. are expected to be included in the trial at the very least, so you can test your mettle against those who have been playing SFV for several years. Yikes.

All you need do is download the game on your respective platform and you're good to go. If you choose to pull the trigger on a full purchase, then the digital release of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is currently on sale for around $30

"We will all live in harmony, together." Fight like a Champion and prepare for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition with the Free Trial coming to #PS4 and #Steam from Feb 3 - Feb 9! New players can try out all 39 currently available characters in the game! #SFVCE pic.twitter.com/hG6FmJBDm0

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) January 31, 2020

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New Body, New Skills, Same Cheese

During this weekend's Capcom Cup, the publisher revealed the 40thfighter headed to the roster of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. And in an announcement I don't think anybody saw coming, Street Fighter IV's notoriously annoying ?boss Seth is returning t??o the ring.

A "perfect being" composed of the fighting data of all who face them, Seth is ready to rumble once again, their A.I. transferred into a new body, previous reserved as a Bison "Doll." Still powered by the Tanden Engine, the new Seth will still be able to harness the power of their enemies, with Seth's V-Skill I literally stealing some of the current opponent's moveset. A selection of alternate attires was also revealed, including Seth's classic SFIV look, all of which will?? arrive with? Seth on February 14.

Speaking of boss characters, a new update is now live in Street Fighter V, bringing with its Street Fighter III's boss character Gill, a new stage, and new V Skill abilities for every single character on the SFV roster, along with a new round of balance tweaks. It's a good day for fans of naked muscle me??n with god complexes.

Street Fighter V is available now on PS4 and PC. The Champion Edition upgrade - which includes all characters, stages, and costumes is ??available digitally right now, with ??a physical release to follow February 14.

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A 'discount' if you're upgrading

Street Fighter V, despite its rocky launch, is still one of the biggest fighting games on the planet and at this year's North American Regional Finals of the Capcom Cup, it was announced the game would be getting even bigger with the Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Launching in February 2020, this version of the game will include all 40 characters and 34 stages, and will feature more than 200 costumes. Fighting Chance, Pro Tour DLC, and collaboration costumes will not be included in this package. 

SFV:CE will be available for PlayStation 4 and on Steam starting February 14. It will retail for $29.99, though if you own any of the current versions of Street Fighter V, you can upgrade to the new edition fo??r $24.99. Gill, who was teased at the end of "A Shadow Falls" story mode, will be included in the package. If you don't want to wait until February, you can also pick him up starting next month for $5.99 or 100,000 in Fight Money.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Announced - Gill Joins Roster Next Month! [Capcom]

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