Street Fighter 6 balance update is primarily focused on adjustments to Mai, Elena, and Sagat. Elena and Sagat, who were introduced after the previous full balance pass, have received usability improvements aimed at better defining their playstyles and expanding practical combo and link options.
Mai has received further rebalancing following prior nerfs. While earlier changes reduced some of her most restrictive attacks, her Kachousen-based pressure and corner control remained highly dominant. This update reduces the difficulty of defending against her looping offense, lowers her ability to force Burnout through blocking and parries, and improves defensive options after her corner forward throw.
Patch Notes
Character Balance Adjustments
- Adjusted Elena to improve the effectiveness of her defining moves, increasing practical combo routes and links to better express her unique strengths
- Adjusted Sagat to enhance usability of key techniques, expanding combo potential and reinforcing his intended playstyle
- Rebalanced Mai to reduce the dominance of Kachousen-based pressure across all versions
- Reduced Mai’s ability to heavily restrict opponent actions without high-risk defensive responses
- Made it more difficult for Mai to induce Burnout through blocked attacks or normal parries
- Adjusted the post-forward-throw situation for Mai in the corner to give defenders more counterplay opportunities
- Reduced the looping nature of Mai’s offensive pressure to lower the overall defensive execution barrier
Universal Adjustments
- Updated Drive Gauge block appearance so blocks change color when even a small amount of Drive remains, improving visual clarity
- Adjusted crouching light kick for all characters so the pre-hit hurtbox around the feet is invincible to cross-up attacks when striking from behind just before landing
- Removed an unnecessary block idle hitbox from Manon, Lily, and Zangief’s Super Art Level 3 and Critical Art before the throw hitbox activates
- Prevented scenarios where Super Arts could be avoided when timed with a jump landing, despite being intended as unavoidable
Bug Fixes
- Fixed inconsistent hitbox disappearance timing during multi-hit projectile clashes when projectiles canceled each other out in identical situations
Street Fighter 6 was released on June 2, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 release following on June 5, 2025.
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