When it comes to fighting games,Street Fighteris the poster child for the genre. Fans may prefer others more, but there is no denying the influence this series has had on the industry since it began in 1987. It may seem wild that there are only six main games in this franchise since it has existed for over three decades.
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However, it’s easy to forget all of the spinoffs, not to mention all of the other fighting games under Capcom’s belt. So, overall, how doesStreet Fighter 6stack up to the rest of the series? Does it do anything better, or is it a failure?
8World Tour
The story modes have always been lacking in these games. The arcade mode withinStreet Fighter 6has the same style of offerings fans should be used to by now. Animated stills are presented for each character’s journey in the single-player mode. That’s for the main characters, but there is also the addition of World Tour, which is the true story mode of the game.
The player is a nameless fighter who wants to make their way to the top in Metro City. It gets wild, almost on the level oftheYakuzagames, which is a real treat.
7The Character Creator
Players cancustomize their World Tour character inStreet Fighter 6to their liking. The wealth of sliders and additional options is astounding for a fighting game. It adds to the charm of the World Tour as players can be whoever they want to be, from a tough brooding macho man to a flirtatious agile femme fatale.
Players have been sharing a staggering amount of creativity with their characters, like making Taylor Swift clones. Past games have offered costume changes and reskins for the main characters, but this is a whole new ball game inStreet Fighter 6.
6The Humor
The overall humor needs to be addressed in the game separately. Iconic characters are behaving in ways that no fan could see coming. For example, players will meet and befriendBlanka inStreet Fighter 6, who can also become a mentor.
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Blanka will give players a quest to hunt and track down a cryptid of someone dressing up like a cute version of himself. That’s just one example, but let’s just say it’s going to be hard not to laugh duringStreet Fighter 6,which is unexpected for the vastly humorless predecessors.
5A Good Blend Of New And Old
Some fighting game developers struggle on balancing characters in their games. Should they create a bigger roster of new characters, or should they bring in more iconic characters to appease the fans? In this game’s case, Capcom has managed to strike a good balance between the old and the new.
There are seven new fightersalong with eleven classics inStreet Fighter 6like Chun-Li and Guile. Plus, the old characters have been redesigned to add new flair to them like Ryu having a robe draped across his Beard Daddy body. It’s the best balance in the series to date.
4Accessible Fighting
Fighting games can be intimating because there is a lot to memorize, and this series is guilty of that. Each character behaves differently as far as movement goes, and their special moves can be tricky to master.Street Fighter 6fixes all of that by adding an automatic combo meter.
Players can hold down the trigger, and characters will perform combos, including specials like Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird kick. No memorization is required, but old-school fans can ignore this new play style as well. It’s great to see an entry finally be more accessible to both the hardcore fans and newbies out there.
3The Collectibles
Even though the story presentations are lackluster in the arcade mode, they are worth checking out. Completing a character’s story inStreet Fighter 6like Luke’s will unlock a plethora of things. One of the best collectibles in the game is the artwork pieces which offer behind-the-scenes sketches along with some fan art.
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There’s a particularly awesome one that reimagines Chun-Li as Mega Man, who is fighting a bunch of other characters who have also been turned into robots.Street Fighter 6is a love letter to the fans, and there has never been this amount of nostalgia in the series before, except for the various Capcom collections, which is a whole other story.
2The Online Integration
The net code for these games has always been strong, and this game does not disappoint. It is on par with past iterations, although the launch stability has been better thanStreet Fighter 5,which has a rocky start. The thingStreet Fighter 6does better overall, though, is creating an experience for players online. There is a place called the Battle Hub wherein players can chat with others in a 3D space before playing a match together.
Alternatively, there arearcade gamesthat offer players classic games to check out, includingStreet Fighter 2andFinal Fight.
1The Music
Capcom has created some of the best music in its catalog thanks to this series. Returning fan favorite themes forcharacters like Guilereturn albeit in remixed fashions. Music tracks are also something players can unlock and collect, which offers both new and old selections.
Besides character themes, the original music for the game is astounding, especially in World Tour. The influence of hip-hop on the soundtrack really brings the characters to life and it helps pump up the crowd too.
Street Fighter 6was released on June 17, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
