Street Fighter V's Launch Content is Underwhelming, But Capcom has Big Plans for the Future

Street Fighter V's Launch Content is Underwhelming, But Capcom has Big Plans for the Future

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Lee Bradley

Capcom has detailed the Street Fighter V content that will be made available at launch and beyond, while outlining grand plans for a game that it hopes will last an entire console generation.

When SFV releases on PlayStation 4 next week, it will include 16 fighters (new character vids for Laura and Vega below) playable in Character Story mode (single-player) and Network Battle mode (online multiplayer, ranked and casual). Network Battle mode will launch with lobbies that can accommodate just two players.

Also included at launch will be Survival Mode. In this mode, your health and EX Gauge carry over between fights against a procession of AI opponents. Each win earns you points that you can spend on power-ups like health or attack or defence increases, which can up your chances of continuing your run. However, spending points on power-ups will reduce your score. Survival Mode will come with four difficulty levels, the completion of which will unlock new outfit colours and in-game titles for your characters.

Also available at launch will be Training Mode (allowing players to try out new characters and learn new moves against a largely static opponent) and Versus for local fights.

Basically, Street Fighter V isn’t launching with much content. It’s a relatively small roster of fighters, playable in a bare bones selection of modes. But don’t worry. Capcom has outlined loads of additional content coming to Street Fighter V over the coming months, including new fighters, modes, sub-modes and options.

First up: fighters. Over the course of 2016, Capcom promises to deliver six new characters; Alex, Guile, Ibuki, Balrog, Juri and Urien, increasing the roster from 16 to 22. These extra characters will be delivered between March and September at a rate of one a month. Players can unlock these characters either with earned in-game cash or real money.

Providing an outline of how much this will cost you, Capcom said that you’ll have enough in-game cash to earn the first of the fighters, Alex, merely by completing each of the launch fighters’ Character Story modes. Alternatively you can also pay real money individual characters, or dish out for a season pass ($29.99) that will grant access to all six characters as and when they’re released, as well as an in-game costume and a PS4 theme.

A Challenge Mode will also be coming to the game post-release, with its four sub-modes arriving in a staccato fashion. Coming “soon after launch” will be the first two of these sub-modes; Targets (daily challenges rewarding in-game money, titles and “other cool content”) and Extra Battle (fight against special CPU bosses for in-game rewards).

Concept art of Alex. Click image for full pic.

In March, Challenge Mode’s other two sub-modes will be released; Battle Tips (tutorials for each fighter) and Trials (combo challenges for each fighter). Also coming next month will be an in-game shop, allowing players to “purchase additional in-game content”, alongside improved lobby support, which will up the lobby size from two players to eight and add the ability to spectate matches.

Then in June, Capcom unleashes the free Cinematic Story Expansion. It’s a single-player mode with a story that takes place between Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter III. “This is the first time in franchise history that fans will be able to play through this type of cinematic story experience in a Street Fighter game,” said Capcom when the mode was announced.

So while Street Fighter V will launch with a paltry amount of content, Capcom’s roadmap points to strong and ongoing support. Indeed, the publisher intends to update and maintain the game with new stuff for an entire console generation.

Speaking to trade mag MCV, Street Fighter Brand Manager Brian Ayers reiterated Capcom’s intention not to release any Super or Ultra-style sub-sequels, saying that Street Fighter V “is the only version that you’ll ever need”.

“You’ll never have to buy or be forced to buy another iteration further down the line, explained Ayers. “What that means is you don’t split the player base. Everyone can always just buy that game and know that two, three years down the line and know they can jump back in whether they are just spectating or being a competitor.”

“We want Street Fighter V to last a console generation,” he continued. “That’s a very brave move from the business side of things. But that is how we are looking at the product as well. It’s not: ‘right, get it out, it’s the first six months and then it’s done’. We’re talking lifetime on this now in years rather than quarters, which I think is quite telling in itself.”

Heartening news for Street Fighter fans then. Get your arcade sticks ready, SFV is almost here and it’s gonna be around for a long, long time.

Capcom's roadmap for Street Fighter V. Click for bigger version.

[Thanks, Recruit]

Comments
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  • Ok interesting..... An different approach to SF5.... So no super SF or ultimate SF etc which is good Getting the collectors edition might be worth it now Let's see if this roadmap is successful and "hope" other developers will follow 'ahem all those ea sports franchises for example'
  • So they are charging £40, for minimal content and then going to charge you for the additional characters that should have been in the game at launch, seriously what the fuck is wrong with the gaming industry. I remember buying new games and actually getting the full game, with new modes, characters, etc at launch without having to get a loan to buy all the season passes, in game credits, etc.
  • "grand plans for a game that it hopes will last an entire console generation", at least until Super SF V, Ultra SF V starts creeping in, as a GOTY version or maybe featuring some very minimally tweaked game mechanics + another fiesta of new characters that you can pay for. Hahaha
  • Not sure what to think of this, It depends how much of this we are going to pay for. If we have to pay for the extra modes, then thats just rubbish considering they should be in the game from the start. I like to think this is more of a 'get the game out and update with more content down the line so people can enjoy it earlier' and not a 'lets make as much money as possible by ripping them off and releasing the game barebones' strategy. Anyway, gonna bring up what everyone else is thinking. Looks like the plat will be easy, but they'll probably release Trial DLC trophies that will be insanely hard like IV's were.
  • Well I'm not happy with that announcement at all! I will get my Collector's Edition and will play 2 hours for the 1st month... I dont like playing ``The Tester`` I wanna play Street Fighter V The Complete Game with all update/Patch but I will have to wait for June and+ for this... It will let me the time to see if my MadCatz Fightpad(PS3) work for SFV and get 1 on sale for PS4 months later if not compatible or simply the 2nd Edition cause MadCatz is like that. I'm not good with my Arcade Stick - I absolutely need a FightPad for Fighting Games. Back to the main subject: What an Incomplete Game, it's disgusting. My Chun-Li Theme from the Season Pass is probably the most $$$ Theme ever (: I don't care I have a huge mountain of unplayed games. Project X Zone 2 next week (: will be added to my mountain. Thank you copy/paste playstationtrophies for the news. International release sucks, it's so better when they are released 1 years after Japan with all update/patch. Thanks for reading my opinion. You have lost time just like me lol
  • Don't think mostly anyone is understanding what they are doing. You buy a game with bare content yes. But in order to get the other stuff is by just playing the game to get the other characters. You only need to spend money if you are lazy and want it all there. Rainbow six is doing the exact same thing
  • You guys do realize that all post launch DLC is free and earn able in game? Also Capcom specifically said this is the only game disc we'll need, and all balance patches will be digital..so why are people complaining with Capcom trying to redeem themselves with a F2P model of SFV?
  • Disappointing that combo trials won't be available at launch. I spent most of my time in SFIV doing them.
  • 16 fighters? That's very disappointing, tbh. With all the characters they have to work with, that's all they can deliver? Almost makes me wish they didn't even focus on a story mode and would've just delivered a fantastic, action-packed fighting game experience that they've spoiled us with in recent years. I'm still going to get it, but my hype just got cut in half.
  • Is it still going to cost $200 for the whole game and it's on disc DLC? I think we have learned our lesson to wait for the 5th version of this game when it includes everything for $60 instead of forcing us to buy new stuff every year.
  • @2 READ the article. All DLC fighters can be unlocked for FREE with in game currency.
  • What Capcom is doing both smart and dumb. The smart is releasing all post game content free of charge and unlockable in game to make it you only have to buy one disk. The dumb is we getting a very bare game out the gate until March. Also they came out to say that you will have enough fight money to buy Alex when you complete all the characters story modes. So that got me worry how in game currency gonna pay out
  • I can understand that some people feel like Capcom is releasing an unfinished game. If you're a casual player who is only interested in playing single player/story mode, if you think that more characters=better game, and if you don't actually want to play multiplayer, then you're not really going to be satisfied with SFV when it launches, and you probably should hold off on buying it. That said, for most people who actually like to play fighting games, this game is going to to be amazing. I can't wait until Tuesday.
  • i hope There will be an patch for deleting games that are under the 100% mark
  • I like the sounds of the Survival Mode. Reminds me of a mode in Street Fighter Alpha 3. I got burned by SFIV, but maybe I will go for this. I prefer to have all extra content on disc, instead of eating up my hard drive, so maybe I'll hold out and see if they do do a complete edition.
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