Street Fighter 6's next DLC will feature a slew of new characters that will be available for players to choose from, including Akuma, who is said to be joining the roster sometime this "spring."
Akuma will become the fighting game's 22nd playable character following Ed's arrival last month. Additionally, the character's new trailer showcased a bit of a makeover for the fighter who made his series debut in 1994's Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo as a hidden boss.
Akuma's Reveal Trailer
Similar to other returning characters in the franchise, Akuma, who is the younger brother of Gouken's Ryu and Ken's master, gets a new look for the latest installment of the series. His previously red mane has not been turned into a shock of white hair.
When Akuma joins the playable roster for Street Fighter 6, he will be available in Fighting Ground mode and will also be encountered as a master in World Tour mode. Players will be given the chance to become Akuma's students and go out on adventures. It will also be possible to visit his Gokuento stage, which is seen in his reveal trailer, in World Tour, according to Eurogamer.
The game's developer, Capcom, said that players should expect new sound-related features and Battle Hub events as part of the update that would include Akuma. That update will officially mark the end of Street Fighter 6's first year of content. The game's director, Takayuki Nakayama, said that work on Year 2 is already underway.
Read Also: Fortnite is Bringing Back Iconic Midas Character After 3 Seasons
Akuma's reveal trailer shows the character training inside his new Street Fighter 6 stage, a candlelit cavern that features lava and giant stone statues. It is an iteration of his stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2, Gokhento.
There are intercut short lines of text that talk up the character's battle prowess and he is later seen launching a devastating punch that severs a giant statue's head. The video ends with a line that says, "Akuma is coming in Spring 2024," which feels more like an ominous warning than a character release date for a fighting game.
A Reworked Aesthetic
Akuma's new design is further detailed in a post on Street Fighter 6's official social media account. The new iteration of the character seems to be older than how he has been shown in past games but no less powerful, said Kotaku.
Street Fighter 6 fans have known about Akuma's planned release in the game for quite some time now after an announcement of the year one DLC. He is the last to be revealed among the four DLC characters that were part of the game's year-one plan.
The character who was released before Akuma, Ed, first appeared in Street Fighter 5 and was initially aligned with the evil M. Bison. However, he managed to escape his master's clutches and then set up the Neo Shadaloo organization. It helps others who have been caught up in his former master's evil machinations.
In the latest installment of the game, Ed exclusively uses punches to fight against other characters. While this may seem to limit his capabilities and chances of winning, he can take advantage of Psycho Power to achieve brilliance using only his fists, according to RedBull.
Related Article: Fatal Fury: City of Wolves Teases Franchise's Return After 25 Years
