Summary
The long-awaited Season 3 ofStreet Fighter 6is finally here, and it’s bringing with it some pretty drastic changes, alongside a brand-new fighter. Unlike a lot of fighting game developers, Capcom tends to only modify and tweakStreet Fighter 6in small ways with a new update to ensure it doesn’t end up feeling too unfamiliar for longtime players. However, with that being said, in the two years of the game now being out in the wild, this is by far the biggest update it has received so far.
As a result, it’s crucial to know what has been changed in this huge patch, since some of the core mechanics and features will feel a lot different this time around, so being in the know can definitely help to get an advantage over an opponent. It’s time to take a closer look at all the biggest changes and new additions in season 3 ofStreet Fighter 6.
5Perfect Parry Changes
Pulling Off That Perfectly Timed Parry Is Going To Be A Little More Tricky
Being able toparry an incoming attackis essential to avoid getting rushed down by the opponent, and, while it is still just as important in the core gameplay loop, pulling it off is now going to be much harder. In the past, players would simply need to tap their parry button at the right time to pull off a perfect parry, which refers to the moment when time slows down and players are given a free opportunity to attack after dodging the opponent.
With Season 3, though, players will need to be walking backwards for the perfect parry to activate. In other words, a character needs to be blocking while the parry button is pressed down for it to work. The reason for this change is to avoid players simply walking down their opponent and tapping parry every so often to dodge attacks, as this small tweak makes it more of a defensive option, which needs to be used with more caution and care.
4Throw Techs
Breaking A Throw Now Rewards The Defender With Some Drive Gauge
By far, the biggest issue inStreet Fighter 6, which has been plaguing the game since its launch, is throw loops. Though Capcom hasn’t technically removed throw loops altogether, which would honestly be hard to do, giventhe fast-paced nature of the moment-to-moment gameplay, they have at least made some small changes to throw techs, which will now punish those who are getting a little too hands-on during a fight.
Anytime a character breaks out of a throw, they will earn not only a small meter of Drive Gauge, but also some of their Super Meter too, providing them with a nice reward for fending off their opponent at the right time. Whether this helps to rectify the issue of throw loops remains to be seen, but it’s definitely still a very nice addition which rewards those who opt for a more defensive playstyle.
3New Fighter: Elena
The Fun And Energetic Elena Makes Her Grand Return
Originally making her debut inStreet Fighter 3: New Generation, Elena has long been a fan favorite character who has appeared in numerous titles over the last few years. It was therefore not much of surprise when she was announced as a member of season 2, but it’s fair to say that she feels better than ever to play, especially with theRE engineallowing her to feel like a naturally fluid capoeira fighter who can take down anyone with a deadly barrage of kicks.
Elena’s definitely not the easiest DLC fighter to use, considering how much she can struggle to close the gap and her lack of an effective projectile, but in contrast, she’s an absolute nightmare to deal with up close. Capcom was even brave enough to bring back Elena’s healing ability, though thankfully, it’s been dialed down a lot so that it’s nowhere near as strong as it was inStreet Fighter 4. Overall, a welcome addition to the cast, who longtimeStreet Fighterheads will definitely want to try out for themselves.
2Longer Recover For Bigger Moves
It’s Going To Be Much Easier For Players To Punish Hard-Hitting Attacks
In a game likeStreet Fighter 6,where players need to be on their A game throughout an entire match to score a win, it’s not always easy to punish the opponent any time they miss an attack, considering the time window to do so was always so small. In Season 3, most hardest-hitting moves in the game are now going to have a longer recovery time, meaning the opponent will get a few more seconds to take advantage after successfully blocking.
In a way, this feels like Capcom appealing tothe casual audienceby giving them more of an opportunity to fight back, without making the punishes too strong in the process. This is a widespread change that affects most characters in the game, which is why it’s such an important one to know about.
1Huge Ryu Changes
The Face Of The Franchise Has Received A Massive Buff
While all characters in the game have been tweaked in one way or another, these changes are ultimately extremely small and probably won’t be all that noticeable in the game, though the glaring exception to this is Ryu. Despite already being one of the most popular characters in the game, Capcom has decided to give Ryu a massive buff to the point where he almost feels like an entirely new fighter. Ryu will now be able to recover from his Denjin Hadoken two frames faster, making it much less risky to throw out during a poking match. However, the boosted fireball now deals a staggering 1000 damage and also travels at double the speed.
When Rio is charged up with energy, the fireball will move so quickly across the screen that it’s essentially impossible for the opponent to interact if they haven’t already jumped or blocked. It doesn’t stop there, though, as Shinku Hadoken also now has more hits, to the point where it can even break throughdefensive Super attacks, such as Rashid’s tornado. To put it simply, Ryu has been gifted a significant boost to his overall abilities and strength, so there’s no doubt he will remain one of the top characters for a long time to come.
