Capcom

Street Fighter 6 Open Beta Character Guide

Here's your guide to the best fighters for all different skill levels in Street Fighter 6

Author:
Norris Howard
Publish date:
May 12, 2023 11:39 AM EDT

One of the most anticipated games of the year, Street Fighter 6, is just around the corner from its June 2nd release date. But the team at Capcom isn’t content with resting on their laurels just yet. To keep the hype at a fever pitch they’ve announced an open beta for Street Fighter 6, just a mere two weeks before release. This go-round of testing will feature the exact same content as the closed betas from last year. Even if there are any adjustments from those closed tests, expect the changes to be minor.

But with that said, we want to take a look at all the characters that will be available for play in the open beta, and what people can expect from them. This will be the perfect opportunity for closed beta testers to refresh themselves on the fighters, and for new folks to finally get a taste of the game if they didn’t make it into the invite-only test.

Beginner Characters

Ryu

Ryu has always been THE fighting game character. His purpose is to teach you virtually everything you need to know about Street Fighter at a fundamental level. His iteration in SF6 is no different. While he has all of the hallmarks that you’ve come to know Ryu to have, he’s also got some new tricks that can jazz up his playstyle.

Beginners should really think about starting with Ryu. He has three of the most important tools in all of SF. A fireball (Hadouken), an invincible anti-air move (Shoryuken) and something to get him across screen quickly (Tatsumaki Senpu-kyaku). His two new moves Denjin Charge and Hashogeki expand his arsenal even more. The former powers up all of his fireball moves and the latter is a close range energy burst that can be used to end combos or counter his opponents slower moves.

He IS the foundational fighter. So even if you’re going to try another character out, you should always pick up Ryu and tool around with him. And if you’re new, it's never a bad idea to start out with Ryu.

Luke

By Capcom’s own admission, Luke is basically Ryu 2.0. Instead of karate he uses a form of MMA that seems a bit more complicated but he’s there to serve the same purpose as Ryu. He’s a beginner friendly character with lots of great tools and the ability to deal damage from anywhere on the screen.

Luke can seem more complicated than he is because he relies a lot on target combos and normals. What that means is Luke doesn’t have to use special moves as much to deal decent damage. Some of his normal moves slide him forward slightly to give him a bit of extra reach when fishing for a hit. Luke also has the ability to charge up his Flash Knuckle move to bounce his opponents off the walls or deal extra damage.

Luke might require a bit more practice and effort than Ryu but ultimately giving him a try will give you a better understanding of how to play the neutral game

Intermediate Characters

Ken

Ken has always been “Ryu but cooler”, but in every game since SF2 he’s diverged more and more from his contemporary. And in SF6, they couldn’t be more different. While Ryu is all about balance and having strong fundamentals, Ken is all about unmitigated offense. Prepare to see A LOT of Ken in the beta.

What makes Ken so appealing to newcomers and vets alike is he’s got great pressure options and a bit of versatility. He CAN play like Ryu, but you don’t want to do that. Instead you want to use his Quick Dash move to get in and start confounding your opponents. On top of that he still has his standard Hadouken to create space if he needs it and his Shoryuken remains one of the best anti-air options in the game. Some of his new moves are a bit heavier on the execution side which is why he’s just outside of beginner class.

This is the most technical version of Ken we’ve ever seen which is why he’s right on the edge of beginner/intermediate of the fighters in this beta. But because of his similarities to Ryu, most players will be able to pick him up and start getting some wins pretty quickly.

Kimberly

Kimberly is one of the totally new fighters coming to Street Fighter 6. She’s light and super quick with a ton of ways to move around the screen. However, that means she’s going to have to work a little harder to do damage, but if you can get in and keep the pressure up, you can frustrate your opponents from almost any angle.

If you are familiar with Street Fighter then Kimberly will remind you of Guy from the Street Fighter Alpha games. She has a run that can cover the entire screen (Sprint). From that run she has a myriad of attacks she can do, forcing your opponents to guess. Kimberly is also adept off of the ground, as only one of a couple of fighters that have combos into super-moves in the air. Couple that with a teleport move (Hidden Variable) and you’ve got a super fast fighter that’s got multiple angles she can attack from.

Kimberly seems like alot to wrap your head around, but the skill needed to execute some of her basic combos is fairly low. Also, at lower ranks, her sheer speed will be enough to overwhelm your opponents. But Kimberly will take some getting used to, especially if you’re new to fighting games.

Juri

Juri is a fan-favorite and an interesting character to play. To use some of Juri’s most basic combos, you have to charge up her “Fuhajin Stocks” with a unique special move. You may think this puts her at a disadvantage, but when she has those stacks her damage potential goes way up.

Working around your Fuha stocks is vital to getting the most out of Juri. But she’s also got other strong tools like a super fast divekick to get into close range. Her Tensenrin kick is a fantastic anti-air tool and great for ending combos. Her only true option at a distance is her low fireball (Saihasho), but it's very slow and you have to have 1 Fuha stock to do it.

Juri’s super art moves, however, might prove difficult for new players. Her level 1, Sakai Fuhazan, can often miss if you don’t plug it into the right combos. And her level 2, Feng Shui Engine, requires a deep knowledge of her normal moves. Lastly, because Juri uses Taekwondo, many of her punch buttons are kick attacks in game, which can confuse new players using the Classic control scheme.

Guile

Guile is not complicated. He’s only got three special moves and one of them isn’t even an attack. He’s so straightforward that he’s had the same gameplan roughly for 20 years: pepper you with Sonic Booms and Flash Kick you if you jump in. In Street Fighter 6 that hasn’t changed. So why is Guile in the intermediate range? Because most don’t have the patience to play the character.

Even with all those muscles, Guile does not want to be near you. He is designed to keep his opponents away with constant projectiles. His anti-air (Somersault Kick/Flash Kick) is really only there to punish folks trying to jump over Guile’s barrage. To counter this, Guile isn’t very fast, he has no special movement options and to use most of his moves you basically can’t move (look up “charge character” for more details). He’s a blonde flat top howitzer, deadly from afar, but he’s not moving.

Many new players find charge characters like Guile difficult at first. And his methodical pace may turn off a lot of folks. But if you’re willing to develop a strong neutral game and commit to a solid defense then Guile could be right up your alley.

Advanced Characters

Jamie

Along with Kimberly, Jamie is a brand new character for Street Fighter 6 and the first time the Drunken Boxing martial art has featured in the series. This should give you an indication of the type of play Jamie falls into. He’s an absolute beast at close range and once he’s sizzurpe’d up, he’s one of the most terrifying fighters in the game. But sort of like Juri, it’s going to take him a while to get there.

Jamie’s main mechanic is that some of his moves end with him taking a swig of his “special brew” as the drink stacks go up, all of his special moves get stronger. At drink level 4, his hair comes down and the monster is unleashed. All of his chain special punches and kicks (Freeflow Strikes) become two hits each instead of one, and become safer to do. He even gets access to new moves like Swagger Hermit Punch.

While this sounds like “Juri but better” keep in mind that Jamie has significantly less movement options than Juri. Also, Juri still has the ability to do all her moves albeit some with weaker effect. With Jamie, all of his specials are weaker without Drink Level and some he can’t do at all. So if you’re committed to rolling the dice and having a “feast/famine” style character then Jamie might be who you hop in the ring controlling.

Chun-Li

Fighting Games’ First Lady, Chun-Li, returns to Street Fighter and with a host of new moves. Chun-Li was always a more technique heavy character, especially in the later iterations of SF. But she’s still the queen of normals and has one of the fastest walk speeds in the game. On the ground, she’s a force, with the ability to close the distance with strong buttons and a new stance to give her even more offensive options (Serenity Stream).

The Serenity Stream is her claim to fame in SF6. Input the command and Chun crouches down cross legged into a new stance. From there, every one of her normals is different. This opens up new combo paths and offers additional ways to counter projectiles. The trade off is that she cannot block in this stance.

Chun-Li might be one of the more advanced characters in the game but getting wins with her feels very rewarding. It typically means you’ve outsmarted your opponent, beat them in neutral with Chun’s strong normals, and controlled the match. She’s a cerebral character and players who enjoy having a move or tool for nearly ANY situation will enjoy playing Chun-Li.

Note: Because this is a beta test, the properties of certain moves may change in the final version.