Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono to leave Capcom after almost 30 years

By Aaron Mamiit August 9, 2020

Street Fighter series executive producer Yoshinori Ono is leaving Capcom this summer, after almost 30 years with the company.

Ono revealed his upcoming departure on Twitter, where he said that he believes the “new generation” of Capcom staff will “continue making Street Fighter extraordinary.”

pic.twitter.com/ym2pFtgZqy

— Yoshinori Ono (@Yoshi_OnoChin) August 9, 2020

Ono did not provide a reason for his decision to exit from Capcom. However, recent rumors from insider Dusk Golem imply that Ono is leaving due to internal conflict in the development of Street Fighter VI.

According to Dusk Golem, the unexpected Season 5 of Street Fighter V will buy time for the development of Street Fighter VI, which was supposed to release next year but had to undergo changes as it was not received well internally and by testers. Ono was said to have been replaced as director after the game focused too much on a team mechanic.

Digital Trends reached out to Capcom for comments on Ono’s departure, particularly on Dusk Golem’s claims of internal conflict. A spokesperson said that Capcom does not comment on rumors or speculation.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Season 5

Capcom recently announced that the fifth and final season of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition will add five more characters to the fighting game’s roster. Four of the five have been revealed — returning characters Dan, Rose, and Oro, and Rival Schools‘ Akira, who is making her debut with the franchise.

A new battle mechanic and battle balance adjustments will also be rolled out in the winter as a free update to all players.

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A free Street Fighter 6 demo is available now on PS5 and PS4

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There is a little over a month to go until the launch of Capcom's highly anticipated fighting game Street Fighter 6, and we just received new information from a dedicated Street Fighter 6 Showcase hosted by Lil Wayne. The biggest announcement came at the end of the show, when Capcom revealed that the game is getting a demo today on PlayStation 4 and PS5.
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During the presentation, producer Shuhei Matsumoto explained that this demo will allow players to create a character they can carry over to the full release. as well as experience the start of the World Tour and play some matches in Fighting Grounds. While the demo is a PlayStation exclusive right now, as it only came out on PS4 and PS5 today, it will arrive on PC and Xbox Series X on April 26.
While the demo was certainly the most notable thing to come from this Street Fighter 6 Showcase, several other things were revealed. At the start of the showcase, we got a new trailer highlighting the World Tour and Battle Hub modes. For Street Fighter 6's World Tour mode, we saw a new locale called Nayshall; for Battle Hub, we learned that players can fight in the center of the hub with their created characters.

Then, game director Takayuki Nakayama talked more about World Tour mode, revealing that players start in Metro City, where they are coached by Luke. Players gain experience, level up, and learn skills to get more powerful. While there are a lot of fights to be had throughout World Tour's locations, players will also have to build friendships with Masters like Chun-Li to gain access to their specific moves. Players can fully customize their own characters moveset, but will also meet other characters not necessarily part of the main roster that were built from those same skills.
After a brief overview reminded us of what Battle Hub has to offer, Fighting Ground then took center stage. During this segment, Capcom revealed that fighters' outfits will get more beat up and worn down over time, sounds indicating certain move types and distance can be turned on to make the game more accessible, and there will be an offline-only AI-assisted gameplay style called Dynamic. We then saw Arcade Mode in action, where players can earn illustrations for each fighter and compete with others for the highest online ranking score.
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Chun Li kicks Ryu in Street Fighter 6.

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I can’t wait to go back to Street Fighter 6’s excellent Battle Hub

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Fighting games live or die on their online communities. Of course, basic functions like rollback netcode and cross-play are essential to a healthy fighting game, but Street Fighter 6 goes further by creating an online hub that celebrates the series and gives players somewhere to hang out between matches. Call it a metaverse if you must, but in reality, the Battle Hub is one-third of the Street Fighter 6 package and will likely be home to the communities and tournaments that ensure people will play the game for years to come.
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What’s the hubbub about?
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