During today’s Street Fighter V Summer Update stream, we got more than we expected. Not only did Capcom show off near final versions of both Oro and Akira, the final DLC character was revealed. Not launching until November is a brand new character for the series named Luke. He’ll be joining and completing the cast as its final addition.
Oro’s normal attacks and special moves were shown off in detail on the Spring stream, but as this elderly warrior is gearing up for release, we got to see a deeper dive into his V Skills and V Triggers. His V Skill I is like a projectile he had in Street Fighter III. This skill called Onibi is a bouncing orb Oro seemingly flicks from his nose which can be used to distract an enemy while approaching for an attack. Minomushi is his second V Skill. It’s a small forward hop that grants two attack choices: a punch used to start combos, and a kick which is safer, less punishable option. You can even cancel into Minomushi from certain normal attacks and choose which route to take next.
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Giving him even more options are his V Triggers. V Trigger I, Marikitan allows Oro the use of two powerful throws, one of which has the turtle hermit whipping his opponent side-to-side into the ground. Marikitan was designed to be more straight forward than most V Triggers, so those who are new to the character might want to consider starting out with it. His V Trigger II, Tengu Stone, levitates chunks of rock and other objects around Oro’s head. HE can use the debris to attack and extend combos, but doing so in more advance combos will expend your V gauge much faster.
Next, we were given a look at the other summer character release, Akira from Rival Schools. Her attacks are based on those she had in her original game. Akira’s V Skill I Kiko Rensei electrifies her gloves and gives special properties to her special move Kiko Kai which is a blast of energy emanating from her palms. Using this move in midair can stop her motion for a split second, enough to make an opponent’s anti-air whiff, and then continue to descend, causing damage on the way down. Her V Skill II is called Tsutenda, a move which kicks the opponent into the sky where Akira can continue an extended combo into the sky called an Air Burst. Air Burst is reminiscent of the kinds of combos Akira could perform in Rival Schools and is a tool no other Street Fighter V character has.
Akira’s first V Trigger is simple, yet strong. Upon activating this V Trigger, her brother Daigo drops from the sky, slamming his boots straight into an unsuspecting victim. Daigo can be used to throw players off their game or as a combo component like in a tag team fighting game. Her other V Trigger is called Haten No Kamae a command which puts Akira into a special stance that allows her to perform unique follow-up moves that each have their own abilities. Haten No Kamae can be utilized twice before expending Akira’s V Gauge, allowing for more combo opportunities, applying pressure, or faking out an opponent.
At the end of the stream, we were treated with a glimpse at the final Street Fighter V character, Luke. This is a completely new character, and one Capcom says is a look at the future of the series. Luke looks like he’s mostly a hand-to-hand fighter and dresses in sporty trunks and lightweight gloves. He uses fast punches but only a few kicks in his repertoire. Some of his punches even shoot blasts of energy across the screen at a speed we don’t normally see from Street Fighter projectiles. Luke looks to be a threat both up close and afar with his lightning-fast offense. We won’t find out more about him until a little later this year.
Luke is set to hit SFV this November, but we still have a duo of new characters dropping within two weeks with the release of Oro and Akira on August 16. Alongside the August characters are a costumes for the newcomers and a new stage called Rival Riverside, a Rival Schools inspired stage featuring characters from Akira’s home series.
