Street Fighter 6 Producer: Franchise Would Have Died Within 10 Years Without Action in Street Fighter V Era
Shuhei Matsumoto says Street Fighter V's player base skewed 35–45, so the team built Street Fighter 6 for players unfamiliar with the series.
Street Fighter 6 producer Shuhei Matsumoto said in an October 2026 interview that he and director Takayuki Nakayama believed the Street Fighter IP would die within 10 years if they did not act during the Street Fighter V era. He made the comments to Karin Ohira at ign.com.
Matsumoto said the Street Fighter V player base was roughly 35 to 45 years old, and that relying only on that group would make sustaining the franchise difficult.
He said the team approached Street Fighter 6 as if the current generation did not know the franchise, rather than leaning on its historical name recognition. The Modern control scheme was integral to reaching a new audience, he added, alongside features including World Tour Mode, the Battle Hub, and real-time commentary.
Context from Street Fighter V
Street Fighter V launched in February 2016 and drew criticism for lacking an arcade mode or story mode and for unstable netplay. Matsumoto stepped in as producer for Street Fighter V near the end of its lifetime, after Yoshinori Ono's exit from Capcom in 2020.
Street Fighter 6 has sold more than 7 million lifetime units as of summer 2026, according to the interview.
Quick answers
How many units has Street Fighter 6 sold?
More than 7 million lifetime units as of summer 2026.
Why did the team change the control scheme in Street Fighter 6?
Matsumoto said the Modern control scheme was integral to reaching a new audience, alongside features including World Tour Mode, the Battle Hub, and real-time commentary.
Who did Matsumoto make these comments to?
He spoke with Karin Ohira at ign.com in October 2026.