New characters will fit within the game’s ecosystem and let’s hope he won’t be too difficult to learn. Hopes for the second DLC character of 2026 is over-the-top in the fighting game community, especially when we talk about characters to be released in the middle of the month! The long-awaited announcement came as usual via the official SF Twitter account, which also presented the new look of the character, emphasized throws for the first time, and so on. The character will be the first downloadable content (DLC) of the year, which will trigger a lot of controversy along with mixed feelings within the fighting game community.
Alex is back in the game after a long absence, and his return is shocking due to the huge makeover he underwent. Gone is the wrestler from “Big Apple,” the character transformed into a player of “Japanese Wrestling,” and the use of the classic Hulk Hogan era wrestling costume and theme with a JAM Project that at least makes some people hyped while others confused is the very thing that defines this radical transformation. Wait, what? The same group that does (for example) wonderful anime openning? Yep! And in the trailer, he is shown performing these incredible leg locks accompanied by the nickname “Dark Devil,” which is a total new vibe for the character.
Gamers are engaged in lengthy discussions and arguments among themselves. The replies are very expressive of the mood. Some players are supporting it completely, like user Sorenthaz, who wrote, “Man got a fucking JAM Project theme. 11/10.” There is no argument with this reasoning; a great theme is a far-reaching blessing. However, there are others who express their disappointment. User jasontimothyexe made a long post about it saying he was “very disappointed” because Alex should have been the one to keep that classic wrestling style. “The Japan Pro-Wrestling tribute should have remained with Rainbow Mika,” they argue, which is indeed a fair point. So, where does the attitude era stand now?
And the talk about the gameplay continues. User ManOfSands observed that the character’s “ultimate” (most probably referring to his Critical Art) appears “a bit dull in my opinion.” Oof! First impressions really do count! PwnyHipster was reflecting on his mechanics and indicated that Alex is no longer a charge character, but rather a “complex stance character,” thus it is going to be a very huge transformation for the old-school Alex mains. You are definitely going to have to practice that day one for sure.
But wait, not all the focus is on the moveset. The music used in the trailer received the same amount of attention as the character. User raywand simply asked, “He looks good, but wtf is this music?” which I can completely relate to, and illanswerthat bluntly stated, “It’s wild how bad the music is in this game, lmao.” Wow, that is harsh! But then there is the counter-argument from people who acknowledge the JAM Project’s glory, so it is really a divide. Apparently, Soundtrack wars are the new tier list debates.
And obviously, a fighting game character’s DLC announcement cannot be made without the… other type of fighting. The business perspective. User KN_592 threw Capcom a direct challenge: “Can you for the love of god just let us buy the character directly with money the same way as SF5 instead of making us pay 6 dollars twice in microtransactions to buy a 7 dollar character? This is predatory, wtf.” The Fighter Coin system in SF6 has definitely been a hot topic since its inception. It is quite confusing and gives the impression that it is purposely designed to make you spend more, which is not a great image when people just want to enjoy their favorite grapplers.
The comments section is simply chaotic at times, which incidentally happens to be the most delightful part of it all. User CapcomTheRN is simply here for the drama: “I’m here to see Luke get his ass wooped.” Preach! And Evallis shared a GIF together with the caption “The heel turn we wanted…” because this darker, meaner Alex is certainly an evil turn. Then there is Paint_sniffer_7 with a totally random yet hilarious remark about “rich white women normal” in the background characters of the trailer. You can give somebody a ring, but the community is definitely not blind, man.
It is a bit intriguing, though, because this revelation also implies how hard it can be to make a whole fan base happy. You bring back a classic character but you could easily upset the old fans if you change them too much. If you do not change them enough, they would say it is boring. Alex’s makeover is quite the statement taking him from an American wrestling clown to a reference to Japanese stars like Kenny Omega (which user Sm_Izumi called “so cringe”). It sure is a game that sparks discussion on PlayStation and Xbox alike.
