Street Fighter 5's Next Character Is Akuma, First Gameplay Trailer Released

Capcom has officially confirmed that Akuma is joining Street Fighter 5 and will arrive on December 20. A new season pass for the game will also be available to preorder, giving purchasers access to him, along with five other new characters.

Akuma has undergone a small visual transformation since his appearance in Street Fighter 4. He now sports a longer hairstyle but still wears his traditional dark blue Gi. Classic moves such as his air fireball return, but his dive kick now has an EX version which begins with a somersault that does damage if it connects with the enemy.

As for super moves, he has both his Raging Demon and a version of the Misogi, a move that he used in Capcom Vs. SNK 2.

"Akuma returns to Street Fighter 5, displaying his mastery of Ansatsuken and while he has become burlier than previous games, he possesses quick footwork and devastating combos," Capcom says on its official website.

"He has a wide array of destructive tools and is able to completely out-class opponents with his oppressive pressure. His moves and stances often strike poses reminiscent of Buddhist statues and Ukiyo-e paintings."

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Capcom has also released a breakdown of all Akuma's techniques:

• V-Skill: Rakan - Akuma strikes a defensive stance and similar to Ryu’s Mind’s Eye, can parry an incoming attack. He can follow-up the move with an upward kick or a long reaching palm strike.
• V-Trigger: Dohatsu Shoten - Akuma powers up and envelops his body with ki to enter Dohatsu Shoten mode. In this mode, his Gohadokens are more powerful, now able to travel full-screen and he can unleash two in the air even while jumping backwards. Additionally, when he lands his Goshoryuken attack, he follows-up and violently drives his opponents into the ground.
• Critical Art: Sekia Koretsuha - Akuma channels an incredible amount of ki into his palm and drives it into the ground, striking the opponent with an exploding pillar of fierce energy.
• Critical Art: Shun Goku Satsu - Only accessible while in Dohatsu Shoten mode, Akuma’s most powerful attack returns. He glides towards the opponent and grabs them, resulting in a series of devastating strikes in the blink of an eye.

Akuma will be available alongside the new Holiday Content, which includes B-Boy Ryu and B-Girl Chun-Li. Akuma’s Story, Premium Battle, and Nostalgia costumes will also be available when he releases.

The 2017 Character Pass will also be available on December 20 for $29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99. According to Capcom it "will grant pass holders with Akuma, in addition to 5 brand new fighters as they join the fray throughout 2017."

It continues: "The pass also comes with Premium Battle Costumes with colors 3-10 unlocked and default costume colors 3-10 for each character. Additionally, 2017 Character Pass holders will receive an exclusive PS4 theme"

The gameplay video ended with an overview of the second season pass and included in the background are silhouettes of the next batch of DLC characters. The fighting game community will no doubt be working overtime to figure out who they are.

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