Street Fighter V has had a tumultuous launch that hasn’t exactly been smoothed over in the months after its release. The promoted story mode along with two Street Fighter veterans Ibuki and Balrog are set to be released this Friday, July 1st. As was the case with Guile and Alex, these characters will be free until Capcom implements their second, premium currency, whenever that may be. Just think of this free time with the new characters as a “try before you buy” scenario.
The trailer for Balrog was showcased at CEO 2016, a prominent fighting game tournament in Orlando, FL. Teased as the end of the trailer with a brief second of gameplay was Super Street Fighter IV breakout Juri and Street Fighter III ne’er do well Urien, who haven’t been given a solid release date, though it can be expected to be rolled out within the next couple of months. The models and face textures are already a solid improvement from the glorified meme that characters like Ken Masters have become.
Despite tepid sales, Street Fighter V is doing phenomenally well in the tournament scene, with Evolution 2016 hosting over 2,000 entrants. Whether or not this hardcore success means more characters in the pipe for the next year or two is anyone’s guess.