Season 1 ofStreet Fighter 6’s DLC is now done. With Akuma arriving, alongside a whole new patch, the players will be going through all the new changes. AKI has become more competitive, and may rise enough in the ranks to challenge Rashid and Ed. Whether she’ll beat them is another matter. However, Season 2 brings in some mystery. Wnlike Season 1, its roster hasn’t (authentically) been leaked yet.
As far as the fanbase knows, anyone could turn up. All that director Takayuki Nakayama said was that it would have some “unexpected characters.” From the new stages, in-game missions, and Nakayama himself, people have made some educated guesses. These are some ofthe likely characters ready to turn up for Season 2.
8Menat
Soul Powered Soothsayer
One of the most likely candidates for a return isMenat, the Egyptian fortune-teller-in-training fromStreet Fighter 5. In addition to her being one of the more popular characters from that game, Nakayama made a cryptic comment in their interview with GameInformer about how their character selection process is a secret, “no fortune-telling or divination involved.”
Menat isn’t the only fortune-teller in the series, as she’s mentored by Rose. But the Neo Shadaloo Mission suggests Egypt will become a new stage in the upcoming season. Since Rose is Italian, that would switch the focus back to her strutting student. It could be a red herring, since this would make her more expected than unexpected, but it would be nice to see her return.
7M.Bison
Dictator of Shadaloo
The Neo Shadaloo mission also comeswith confidential documentsthat suggest their original leader may have come back from the dead. Well, maybe. These documents are rather vague, as they talk about someone with residual Psycho Power. They describe this person as a man riding a horse with white hair and tattered clothes, who “looked dignified with bold eyes”. The last page suggests they were “moving to Restoration phase”.
M.Bisonhas come back from the dead several times, including afterStreet Fighter Alpha 3andStreet Fighter 2,before what looked like his permanent end inSF5. He often did this with clone bodies, some of whom became separate characters like Abel, Seth, and Ed. As such, even if it’s not the classic dictator, it will likely be someone who’s Bison-adjacent.
6A New Filipino Character
A Potential New Venture
That same Neo Shadaloo mission also suggests there will be a stage set in the Philippines. There’s a chance it might just be a story detail, maybe even connected to the Bison-esque figure. However,SFis one of few popular fighting game series that doesn’t have a Filipino character.SoulCaliburhas Talim,Tekken 7has Josie Rizal, andDead or Alive 4has SPARTAN-458 (yes, really), butSFis still wanting.
They did have Eagle, a character thatfought with Eskrima, a Filipino martial art. But he was an uppercrust Englishman who smacked people with his sticks. If they gave this style, or any other style, to a Filipino character, they could catch on. It worked forSF’s sole Korean fighter, Juri. With the right care and attention, it could work with a Philippine representative too.
5Falke
The Guardian Hawk
While funded by JP’s Terra Network Partners/Amnesia organization, Neo Shadaloo isn’t interested in being a revival of M.Bison’s old group. They consist largely of Bison’s old test subjects led by Ed and his sort-of sisterFalke. Neither were particularly popular inSF5, as they were rather dry characters. Falke had about as much personality as her fighting cane.
SF6spruced Ed up more, making him more distinct with his Psycho Power-fueled boxing, with his missions teasing future story directions. Its creative approach could help Falke stand out from the crowd too. Similarly serious, stiff characters like Ryu and Cammy got to loosen up through the World Tour Mode. Although, some fans might prefer to play as the team’s hypersmart gorilla Baba.
4Urien
The Treacherous Disciple
Between the fortune-telling reference and the Egypt stage, Menat is a likely choice. But she’s not the only character who made their debut in the Land of Ra.Urienfirst appearedStreet Fighter 3: Second Impact, where his stage was set by the Abu Semel ruins in Egypt. Though not Egyptian himself, he’s made his name as a mainstay in the series.
Urien’s Aegis Reflector tactics made him one of the trickiest but most versatile characters in the series. It would also be fascinating to see what happened to him andSF3’s Illuminati afterStreet Fighter 3: Third Strike. It’s easy to forget thatSF3: TSis the immediate predecessor toSF6, yet the game has more returnees fromSF5. Whether it’s Urien or a fan favorite like Makoto, the game needs someone fromSF3to come back.
3El Fuerte
The Hurricane of the Gulf of Mexico
While Urien first appeared on an Egyptian stage, his most famous stage inThird Striketook place in a Mexican temple. There are rumors that there will be another Mexican stage to go alongside Lily’s reservation, so Urien might have another chance to return. Or, more likely, another native Mexican will make their long-awaited comeback, likeEl Fuerte.
Juri’s fame eclipsed those of her fellowStreet Fighter 4newbies, to the point where it’s hard to remember she wasn’t in the original release. But the luchador was, and had an interesting style that relied on runs, jumps, and mix-ups. His high-flying style would be neat to see back in action, and he’s less likely torun afoul of the censorslike R.Mika was.
2Cody
Mayor of Metro City
Strictly speaking, there’s no specific story thread hinting at a return forCody. But considering he’s the mayor of Metro City, the first big open-world stage in the game, one would think he’d turn up to have a bone to pick with JP’s NGO. Or that he’d look into what happened to Ken Masters and his foundation in his financial district. Or that the Mad Gear gang is back in action and hanging around his streets, and Cody’s coming to clean things up.
Granted, hisSF5story was about him taking up civil service to recuperate from his addiction to fighting. Brawling willy-nilly would run counter to that, thoughSF5also showed the occasional bout wasn’t out of the question. The ex-con-turned-city chief could step in to maintain some order.
1Crimson Viper
Secret Agent Mom
For another speculative choice,Crimson Viperis long overdue for a return. She appeared so often inSF5’s Story Mode that people thought she was bound to be DLC for that game. Alas, she only appears in the game’s cutscenes. For someone who made it intoMarvel Vs Capcom 3and played a key part inSF4’s tie-in OVAs, it’s a disappointing way to go out.
Perhaps conversely, with nary a mention inSF6beyond Juri’s backstory, she’ll end up being one of Season 2’s unlikely returnees. She’s got a neat gimmick with her techno suit, and there are plenty of shady organizations looming aroundSF6. It’s ripe ground for a secret agent like her. She also has potential rivals in her former partner Juri, businessman JP, and trainee ninja Kimberly, among others.
