We're still months away from the release of Street Fighter 6, but we're getting more and more hopeful that it will eventually be the best in the series thanks to recent closed beta tests. The new animations, the dynamic and modern control schemes, the accessibility options, and even the new character creator are all fantastic signs of what's to come.
Street Fighter 6 will also introduce a new online social area called the Battle Hub. As our own George Foster described when he got a preview back in October, it's "half lobby, half social area, and lets players wander around to buy clothes, challenge others to fights, and play classic arcade games like Final Fight."
With a photo stand and video game tables, the Battle Hub looks a lot like a classic arcade, which was apparently by design. In an interview with Game Informer, Street Fighter 6 producer Shuhei Matsumoto said the team was inspired to create the social area during Japan's COVID lockdowns.
"Especially with COVID, there’s not many opportunities to go to arcades and socialize with your friends," Matsumoto said. "So, we felt like, ‘What if we made an online version of an arcade? Are we able to do that within Street Fighter?’ That was a challenge we wanted to take on and recreate because we grew up in the era of going to arcades with our friends, and that’s something we have fond memories of."
So far at least, we know that Final Fight and Street Fighter 2 will be available to play in the Battle Hub, but there's nothing stopping Capcom from releasing other classic arcade titles like Ghosts 'n Goblins or 1943: The Battle of Midway. There's also a massive central screen where players will presumably be able to watch tournaments or experience major announcements, although we still don't know for sure. There's also a DJ minigame, a photo stand, and two clothing shops for players to create their custom styles.
Street Fighter 6 arrives on June 2, 2023.