Street Fighter IV / V / VI: A Preview of the Modern Era

The arcade-era Street Fighter ended with Street Fighter III. But the story of Ryu and his friends didn't stop — Capcom continued the line with several modern titles.

Street Fighter IV: the classic returns

After years of silence, Street Fighter IV (2008) brought the series back to the mainstream. It recaptured the feel of 2D fighting with 3D visuals, and filled in a major plot point — the "presumed dead" Gouken resurfaced in SF4.

Gouken's return gave the Ryu/Ken/Akuma school line a new turn, and let veterans relive the old days.

Street Fighter V: filling the timeline

Street Fighter V (2016) actually takes place before Street Fighter III. It completes the final fate of M. Bison and Shadaloo, and reveals where many characters went. The Shadaloo villain line, threading through the first two entries, finds its true end in SF5.

In other words, SF5 isn't "moving forward" but "filling backward" — patching the years between the arcade era and the modern day.

Street Fighter VI: a new chapter

The latest, Street Fighter 6 (2023), pushes the timeline past SF3 and opens a brand-new story. Here, Ryu appears more mature and clear-eyed — still that seeker, just with a longer road and a calmer heart.

New characters, new systems, new stages — the Street Fighter world keeps growing.

A series' legacy

From the Shoryuken of 1987 to the new chapter of SF6, Street Fighter spent decades building a vast world for fighting games. The Satsui no Hado, Shadaloo, the Four Kings, Ryu and Akuma — these names are etched into a generation's memory.

Our arcade-era Street Fighter series (SF1 → Zero → SF2 → SF3) ends here. Next stop, the new story of modern Street Fighter.