:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62717769/SFVAE_Kage_Back_Turn.0.jpeg)
Capcom is mixing up how it rolls out new fighters for Street Fighter 5 in 2019. No longer will the publisher sell a season pass that includes a half-dozen fighters at a discount, a decision that is leading to confusion and concern over Capcom’s plans for the future.
Earlier this week, Capcom announced and released Kage, a new evil version of Ryu that heralded the fourth season of content for Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition. Kage is available for purchase individually for $5.99 or 100,000 Fight Money, Street Fighter 5’s in-game currency.
Unlike previous seasons of Street Fighter 5, Capcom didn’t go on to announce or hint at what else would be included in the fourth season of the fighting game’s content plan. On its Capcom Unity blog, the company called Kage “only the beginning” of the next season and teased that it’s “doing things differently this year.”
On Wednesday, Capcom revealed that it had “no plans to offer a Season Pass for the 2019 DLC characters.”
Kage can only be purchased individually with Fight Money or real currency. We currently have no plans to offer a Season Pass for the 2019 DLC characters. Stay tuned for information on future updates!
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) December 20, 2018
Capcom’s silence on what’s next for Street Fighter 5 has players speculating that either this season will bring fewer than six new characters to the game; that it signals a move to a free-to-play model; or that the developer is winding down development and moving on to a sequel.
In previous years, Capcom either announced the full, six-character season from the get-go or hinted at what was to come with silhouettes of new challengers. This year, players are left in the dark.
Street Fighter 5 producer Yoshinori Ono told Japanese gaming outlet Famitsu in a 2016 interview that Capcom had plans to support the game as far out as 2020, but without solid information, fans now don’t know what to expect.
