Exclusive Interview with Street Fighter 6 Developers Shuhei Matsumoto and Takayuki Nakayama on Upcoming Character Revelations

This week at Gamescom Asia, we had the opportunity to engage with Capcom’s Shuhei Matsumoto (Producer) and Takayuki Nakayama (Director) regarding their hit fighting game, Street Fighter 6. Although we were limited to just one question, it was an incredible experience to gain insights from two key figures behind the game’s development.

While both Matsumoto and Nakayama remained tight-lipped about which characters might be introduced in the future, their views on the current roster sparked our interest.

Shuhei Matsumoto and Takayuki Nakayama Remain Reserved About New Characters for Street Fighter 6

In our conversation at Gamescom Asia, we posed an intriguing question to the developers:

“Given the surprise additions of characters like Terry and Mai, if you had the ultimate creative freedom to include any character from the Street Fighter universe in the next season, who would it be? Would it be a former mayor like Mike Haggar or possibly a character from Darkstalkers?”

After a brief discussion, both developers shared their thoughts via a translator. While we held high hopes of hearing specific character names that they favor for inclusion in Street Fighter 6, they maintained a cautious stance, suggesting that any character brought back would likely be from the Street Fighter series itself, rather than from a crossover franchise. The translator articulated their collective sentiment:

“Essentially, the director and producer are aligned in stating that if they were granted unfettered creative authority to resurrect a character, it would undoubtedly be someone from the Street Fighter franchise, as they hold a deep appreciation for the series overall.”

Regrettably, for fans of Darkstalkers, our attempts to unearth their favorite characters were in vain. If given carte blanche, it still seems they would prioritize Street Fighter characters as opposed to those from Final Fight, Darkstalkers, or other beloved Capcom titles.

When pressed for a specific character, they found it challenging to provide an answer—something not entirely unexpected given the rich history and array of memorable fighters featured in the recent Street Fighter installments. For example, Ultra Street Fighter IV introduced a remarkable variety of characters. If they indeed operated in a realm of pure creative license, choosing a character would still require careful consideration to satisfy the fanbase:

“As for identifying a character, they are so many deserving fighters they cannot possibly narrow it down. They’re aware that selecting a random name might lead fans to speculate that this character may actually return, which is not feasible given the current developmental landscape.”

This caution exhibited by Matsumoto and Nakayama is understandable; it helps avoid raising expectations unnecessarily or disappointing fans with a controversial selection. Nonetheless, within the fighting game community, opinions are often divided—no matter which character is introduced, there will always be some degree of dissatisfaction.

Although neither developer could confirm a returning character, they both indicated that it would certainly be someone already associated with the Street Fighter lineage:

“They are opting to remain discreet on this matter, but it’s safe to conclude that should a character return, it will definitely be from Street Fighter.”

Who might grace the roster in the upcoming updates? The possibilities remain vast. Personally, I would advocate for the return of Dan Hibiki, as he brings a unique flair to the game. Additionally, considering the current lack of grappling characters, perhaps the reintroduction of Hakkan would also be a welcome change.

No conversation about Street Fighter is complete without mentioning Sagat, making a potential comeback for the King of Muay Thai a thrilling prospect in Street Fighter 6. While all of this remains speculation, the future holds many opportunities.

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