The new Fighting Pass, based on the Ghosts ‘n Goblins classic, was the last thing one would expect to find at Capcom‘s Street Fighter 6. The Ghosts ‘n Goblins Gala Fighting Pass, which is going on at the moment, allows gamers to earn attractions mainly made up of premium items. A bunch of stuff, including A.K.I. and Blanka’s character colors, new Challenger Screen illustrations, and Arthur’s armor for your avatar, can be unlocked. It sounds great on paper, but the reaction from the Street Fighter community was… to say the least, not very enthusiastic.
What exactly is the pass intended for? It’s a battle pass once again with a heavy grind that is almost a mountain, which has become the norm in games. Players play matches, earn points, and unlock items. Adding to that is Capcom’s real tough platformer franchise Ghosts ‘n Goblins, which is the fantastic theme of the pass. The custom avatar with Arthur’s armor is not just the biggest attraction but also the special colors for two fighters in total. However, one aspect that has everyone discussing or rather complaining about is where the actual character costumes have gone.
The responses to the official Street Fighter tweet are dismal and full of disappointment. One of the players, @ButtHngry, articulated it very accurately: “I can’t believe it’s been 3 years and you still haven’t convinced me there is ever anything worthwhile in these garbage battle passes.” Oh my! That impression seems to be widespread. Another user, @DukeSilverPR, even inquired in a more direct way, “WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES? SF5 HAD THEM FOR THE WHOLE ROSTER, AND EVEN A STAGE.” That is a reasonable point. Street Fighter V was practically an abundance of cosmetic content, and new outfits were released frequently for almost every character.
The comparisons with SFV are ever-present. @ItsDaniPlays tweeted, “Crazy how SFV had so much better content variation. Never thought I’d have to praise that game.” This cannot be very flattering for the Capcom team. When players begin to remember fondly the content pipeline of the previous game, then there is a perception problem. @KamatariEd100 raked in the user engagement with his post on SFV circulating an ancient free costume, “This was Peak, this was Free!! this is what we wanted. skins for the characters we actually play.” The floor is open, and his argument is supported with a pictorial representation of the gamers’ notion of what is missing.
And this is the crux of the matter. The whole thing boils down to main roster vs. avatars. The new pass is primarily focused on avatar customization, which is a major feature of the World Tour mode. Still, most players who are in the Fighting Ground–either playing ranked matches or casuals–don’t really care about their avatars. They want their main character to look great–the one they have dedicated hundreds of hours to. @SmootDiggy expressing it in the most straightforward way: “Bro just drop some skins for my character fk the avatar.” That is the level of clarity that can’t be any clearer than that.
Some players even question the whole thing. @hana_likes_ tweeted, “So y’all can make the skins for avatars, but not the mainstay characters? Seems quite fing stupid.” The irritation is even evident in the comments. It is felt as if the resources are being directed towards the least appealing part of the game. @element_any made himself heard stating: “the whole avatar thing is nothing but hollow in comparison… the main roster is being degraded in favour of avatar here.” It is a dispute about where the soul of Street Fighter 6 truly lies.
Nevertheless, the negative comments are not the only ones. @isaiahyuuup was very happy about the Challenger Screen art and even told that Ghouls ‘n Ghosts was his favorite game as a child. Hence, the theme has a nostalgic attraction for certain people. And from a business standpoint, user @alejadrorr0123 in a reply pointed out, “90% of the player base are Japanese, and they buy this, so yes, they are listening…” This suggests that such content could be selling well in a key market, even if the vocal English-speaking community is not pleased with it.
But the common impression is that it is a case of a missed opportunity. The Ghosts ‘n Goblins theme is indeed great. It is a fighting game, and it is full of cool armor and monster designs. Players see that potential and are just puzzled as to why it is not being applied for the actual fighters. Instead of a full costume for Zangief as a demon or Chun-Li as a sorceress, we are getting armor for an avatar on PlayStation and Xbox.
