Capcom announced that its long-awaited fighting game sequel Street Fighter V is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PCs worldwide in February of 2016.
The publisher also announced a new character for Street Fighter V‘s roster, and revealed plans to launch six additional fighters throughout 2016.
Street Fighter II veteran Dhalsim joins Street Fighter V‘s playable lineup, expanding the game’s known roster to 15 characters. Other recent reveals include Street Fighter Alpha 3‘s Rainbow Mika, fellow grappler Zangief, and superpowered dictator M. Bison.
Previously announced characters include Ryu, Ken, Nash, Birdie, Chun-Li, Karin, Laura, Rashid, Vega, and Necalli. Previous series entry Ultra Street Fighter IV boasts 44 characters, and many are likely to return in Street Fighter V in subsequent updates.
During a Sony event in Paris this week, Street Fighter V producer Yoshinori Ono revealed that at least six additional characters will join Street Fighter V after its launch next year. These characters will be unlockable either through microtransactions or via in-game currency earned through single-player or online versus modes. Breaking with tradition that goes back to the series’ roots in the 90s, there will only ever be one version of Street Fighter 5, which will be expanded and updated through subsequent DLC and patches, so don’t hold your breath waiting for Ultra Super Street Fighter V Turbo: Pro Tournament Edition.
Street Fighter V‘s release date announcement follows up on several closed beta tests conducted in recent weeks, giving players an early glimpse at the game’s evolved mechanics. Early beta tests proved troublesome, however; the game’s initial round of testing left many players unable to connect to Capcom’s servers, leading the publisher to overhaul its infrastructure before re-launching the beta in September.
Announced in 2014, Street Fighter V is the latest in Capcom’s flagship fighting game series, following up on multiple revisions of the studio’s Street Fighter IV. Unlike the previous entry in the series, however, Street Fighter V will not appear on Xbox consoles, and is exclusive to the PlayStation 4 and PC platforms.
Street Fighter V will make its global debut on February 16, 2016. Additional beta test sessions will be held for pre-order customers in the months leading up to the game’s release.
