Shuhei Matsumoto, a Capcom developer, has disclosed that the COVID-19 epidemic inspired the Battle Hub feature in Street Fighter 6. Street Fighter 6 differentiates itself as the newest mainstream entry in the long-running fighting game genre by stressing personalization, with the Battle Hub serving as a lobby where players can show off their personalised avatars to others online.
Street Fighter 6 differs from its predecessors in that it tries to pack in as much material as it can, from the aforementioned Battle Hub to the single-player World Tour mode that places players in an open world—something the franchise has never done before. It clearly suggests a game that is seeking to balance content-rich options for players who want to refine their abilities online with what it has to offer those looking for a solitary experience.
Producer Shuhei Matsumoto said the worldwide epidemic and the lack of possibilities for people to connect in real life motivated the mode when Capcom studio chiefs were speaking to Game Informer about Street Fighter 6. The lobby is inspired by arcades, where users must sit on an arcade machine to play a match or watch other people play. Older arcade games, such as Street Fighter 2 and Final Fight, are also playable in Battle Hub. Their presence not only pays respect to the series’ long history but also allows players to compare Street Fighter 6’s gameplay to those of its predecessors.
The fact that the epidemic has affected a game like Street Fighter 6 may also not come as a surprise, given that a large part of its attraction and the attractiveness of similar fighting games is the online community they attract. COVID-19 has impacted the world in recent years, with innovators like Hideo Kojima talking about how the pandemic’s effect on individuals across the globe affected Death Stranding 2. Even if it is not explicitly declared as an inspiration, there is little question that it has or will inspire numerous games when it comes to developing the game environment or writing the story.
Street Fighter 6 will be a beautiful peak for the brand in terms of gameplay and content offers if it manages to carry off all of its objectives. Given Matsumoto’s and Capcom’s ambition to recreate the arcade experience, Battle Hub has the potential to be a terrific community offering for users looking to show off their unique characters and give an additional personal dimension to the multiplayer experience.
