Street Fighter V: Champion Edition brings this two-tone angel to the ring next February
Caught red (and blue) handed
It might be only three months since Arcade Edition hit, but Street Fighter V is gearing up for another evolution. Champion Edition was announced this weekend, collecting everything ever released for Capcom's flagship fighter into one package in the game's "most robust version" yet. But it wouldn't be an update without something new. SFV's next step will be ushered in by an ancient strongman slathered in red-and-blue paint who fights in the buff and occasionally sprouts six angelic wings.
Subtle as ever, Capcom.
Capcom announced Champion Edition - plus a bunch of winter updates and costume DLC - at the North America Regional Finals yesterday. It's worth checking out, if mostly for a bizarre Monster Hunter crossover fight taking place between November 22nd through December 20th.
Old-timers might recall Gill as the final boss for Street Fighter 3, though he also briefly popped up at the end of one of SFV's many, many story modes. In Capcom logic, painting half your body blue and the other red gives you the power of fire and ice. Gill's move-set likewise comes complete with punches and kicks that can freeze foes where they stand or engulf them in flames.
Gill can double-down on fire or ice, depending on which variation he picks at the start of a fight. Primal Fire lets his regular attacks set folks on fire without spending any meter, plus some spicy extra moves including a burning javelin. Ice of Doom, meanwhile, lets Gill summon a pillar of ice and set frozen traps, turning the battlefield into a deadly, frozen slip n' slide.
You can get a better look at how he plays in a brief gameplay trailer, below.
Next year's edition also grants every street fighter an extra "V-Skill" move. In layman's terms, special attacks or abilities that aren't quite as powerful as your cutscene-inducing "Super Attack". Like all incoming balance changes and new modes, these extra moves will be free for all existing SFV players next February.
I've never been a huge fighting game buff, but I can't help but feel Champion Edition is a little sparse for a titled update. Even this August's Arcade Edition felt meatier with its three new fighters, including fan favourite E. Honda and problematic trans icon Poison. Not only does Champion just add the one, but he looks a right state, like a bodybuilder tripped into the paint aisle at B&Q.
But while totally new additions are a little thin on the ground, Capcom are throwing in every character, costume, and stage released for SFV to date - plus any new DLC released for Champion Edition going forward.
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition arrives on February 14th, 2020 on Steam for £25/€30/$30, or £20/€25/$25 for existing SFV owners.