The Street Fighter franchise is considered one of the cornerstones of Capcom and the fighting game genre as a whole. However, even the most famous series are not immune to decline without proper changes. Following the controversial launch and reception issues of Street Fighter V, the company's management realized that the franchise needed a complete reset.
Threat of the iconic series disappearing
In an interview, Street Fighter 6 producer Shuhei Matsumoto spoke candidly about the serious concerns within Capcom regarding the brand's future:
- Aging audience: The average age group of SFV fans was between 35 and 45 years old. The team realized that in another 10 years, these players would be approaching 60, and relying solely on them for the series' survival was impossible.
- Lack of new players: Many people knew about the brand, but did not play the games at all, which was the worst signal for the developers.
- Risk of the franchise dying: According to the studio's estimates, without radically attracting the younger generation, the IP could have disappeared within a decade.
That is why the developers decided to approach Street Fighter 6 as if the current generation of gamers was not familiar with the franchise at all. The game received simplified modern controls, a large-scale single-player World Tour mode, and detailed tutorials for newcomers, allowing the legendary fighting game to return to the peak of its popularity once again.
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