Nearly a year after the release of Street Fighter 6 (review), one of its most iconic characters is finally joining the roster. Starting May 22, Akuma will be available on all platforms for owners of the Year 1 Character Pass, Year 1 Ultimate Pass, Deluxe Edition, or Ultimate Edition. He is the final addition to the Year 1 Character Pass, which already includes Rashid, A.K.I., and Ed. In addition, Ultimate Pass owners will see Outfit 3 become available for Year 1 Characters concurrent with Akuma’s release. Capcom also announced that the highly anticipated battle balance updates for all characters will be released on May 22, with more details to follow in the coming weeks. Finally, Year 1 Ultimate Pass owners will gain access to the new stage, Enma’s Hollow, which is depicted as Akuma’s training ground.
Those who are familiar with Akuma’s playstyle from past Street Fighter games probably know what to expect with his release. But considering Street Fighter 6 has sold over three million units since launch, likely welcoming many newcomers to the franchise, Capcom has shared details on his move list:
- Gou Hadoken: Akuma’s infamous fireball is back and can be charged up to blast a “red fireball” that gives him more options on hit or block.
- Ashura Senku: Like his previous iterations, Akuma uses Ashura Senku to glide on the battlefield cloaked in shadows.
- Adamant Flame: One of Akuma’s new moves, where he performs a forward thrust engulfed in flames. This move is useful in combos and for exploiting vulnerable opponents due to its long reach.
- Messatsu Gohado: Akuma’s Level 1 Super Art where he fires a highly concentrated ball of Satsui no Hado.
- Empyrean’s End: Akuma’s Level 2 Super Art where he turns the Satsui no Hado into a powerful flame and ignites it within the opponent.
- Sip of Calamity: Akuma’s first Level 3 Super Art where he throws opponents on the ground face-first and follows up with a single devastating blow.
- Shun Goku Satsu or “Raging Demon”: This second Level 3 Super Art can only be performed when his Vitality is low enough for a Critical Art and can be used to end combos. This time, he allows you to see what happens during the one second worth of nightmares.
