The long-awaited Street Fighter V Winter Update has finally arrived. The Street Fighter development team over at Capcom have delivered the goods as promised, and then some more.
Let’s break down what Street Fighter V has to offer for its fifth and final season, shall we?
The Street Fighter V Winter Update: Things to Be Excited About
Rose
We got an early glimpse of Rose to open up the show and as you can tell from the screenshots and the embedded video of the presentation we have here, she’s still in early development.
Still, that didn’t stop them from showing off her kit, which is a mix of returning and new moves.
For starters, her Soul Spark can now be executed in mid-air, at varying angles depending on the punch button used.
Rose’s Soul Throw anti-air is now replaced with Soul Bind, a move reminiscent of her Illusion Spark from Street Fighter IV, where she uses her scarf to shock airborne opponents with soul energy. Lastly, she also gets a brand new move called Soul Punish, where she sets an orb on-screen that detonates after a set amount of time. From what we’ve seen, this has both zoning and combo utility.
While we don’t have any idea of what her Critical Art is going to be, we got a peek at her V-Skills and V-Triggers which, like her specials, are a mix of the old and new. V-Skill 1 uses tarot cards as a buff/debuff tool, while V-Trigger 1 gives her a teleport akin to Nash’s.
Players familiar with her earlier incarnations will be happy to see the return of Soul Satellite and Soul Illusion as her second V-Skill and V-Trigger, respectively.
On top of all that, we also got a quick look at the animation process for characters, which is a rarity for fighting games.
Accompanying her on release will be the Marina of Fortune, a modern take on her Street Fighter Alpha 2 stage, and we’re expecting a brand new arrangement of her Alpha 2 theme to go with it.
There’s no release date for her yet, but given how early in development she still looks, it’s safe to assume she’s still a few months away.
Dan Hibiki
Street Fighter’s loveable goofball is finally back in the fray and looks more fun than ever.
We’ve gotten glimpses of how he plays over the past months, but the Winter Update provides the most comprehensive look at the master of Saikyo Style to date.
Naturally, his V-Skill 1 and 2 revolve around his taunts, because, why wouldn’t they? They’re an inseparable part of his character and not leaning into them would be a disservice.
What does stick out to us, though, is his V-Skills giving him the ability to cancel out of either special or normal moves, depending on which one you pick. Whichever you end up taking with you into a fight, his taunt cancels are going to be an integral part of his game plan moving forward.
As for V-Triggers, the Haoh Gadoken makes its return from Super Street Fighter IV as his V-Trigger 1, whereas V-Trigger 2 powers up his Gadoken and Koryuken specials. Not only that, but being extra precise with your special inputs rewards you with even more powerful versions.
The cherry on top of this loud, boisterous sundae, however, is Dan’s Battle Costume, which plays up his origins as a jab at rival company SNK. It incorporates Takuma Sakazaki’s shirtless look from Art of Fighting 2, a Mr. Karate-esque tengu mask, and Ryo Sakazaki’s orange and black gi. Fighting game fans familiar with Capcom and SNK’s rivalry in the heyday of arcades are going to love this outfit.
New Battle Mechanic: V-Shift
One of the most talked-about additions in Season 5 is the new battle mechanic that was going to be introduced in the Winter Update.
After months of speculation, we finally know what it is. Enter, V-Shift - a defensive mechanic that lets you escape pressure, and so much more.
Battle designer Ryuichi Shigeno was on hand to explain how it works, and at its most basic level, it gives you a short invincible backdash in exchange for one bar of your V-Gauge. Timing it just as you’re about to get hit by an incoming attack slows down time, giving you a small window for you to think about your next move.
If that wasn’t enough, you also get half of your spent bar of V-Gauge back. From there, you’re free to counter with a move of your choosing.
We’ve seen normals, specials, Critical Arts, and the V-Shift Break. That last option is a predetermined attack, not unlike certain existing V-Reversals, and allows you to break off pressure or get in on your opponent, depending on the situation. The main difference between V-Shift, and V-Reversal, though, is that the former can be executed any time, while the latter can only be used while in block stun.
Just how dramatically this will change the game is yet to be seen, but from what we’ve been shown so far, we can’t wait for folks to really sink their teeth into it and show us the possibilities.
What Else Is In The Street Fighter V Winter Update?
If you’re itching to try out Dan, V-Shift, and the requisite balance patch, you won’t have to wait long. Season 5 starts on the 22nd of February, with the Character and Premium Passes available for purchase as we speak at $24.99 and $39.99, respectively.
Both these passes will also net you the bonus character Eleven, a mimic character and predecessor to Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike’s Twelve. There’s no word yet on who the fifth character of Season 5 is going to be, but you can bet we’ll be on the lookout for more info as it comes.
You can watch the entirety of the presentation below: