I know you all must be strapping yourselves in for the ride; Elena, the lady, is arriving within Street Fighter 6-the high-kicks and healing on Nintendo Switch 2 included. Yes, you read that alright. It’s June 5 that you want to mark because if you fancy some fast and fluid, with a heavy shot of sunshine, combat, you’ll want to remember that one.
So for the uninitiated, who is this Elena? The capoeira-and-muay-thai fighter with that really warm spirit first graced the stages of Street Fighter III, subsequently returning in Ultra Street Fighter IV. This pressure-dominating, healing-weaving diva is the ultimate dream for players who apply aggressive play with a little sustainability twist. And she will join the ongoings of SF6, looking like she got a fresh coat of paint-in newer tricks, maybe?
From then, that was what Capcom’s socials announced, complete with the hype trailer featuring her immaculately smooth animations and trademark dynamism. No comments about healing returning, and yet, with all odd things from SF6 that have changed historically correct things about characters, can we safely presume that they would make gameplay-wise new wrinkles for her?
Now, here is the kicker: It will happen on the Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, that is correct, Nintendo Switch 2, not Switch OG. Soft confirmation for that for a next-gen console soon to come from Nintendo; Capcom is already in. No specs, no price, no nothing-just proof of Elena being one of the first solid fighters on that new box.
Well, the pre-orders are already rolling in-interesting, to say the least. As a rule, one would expect it to be more build up before the real promise happens, but Capcom seems to be safe with this release. Perhaps their hoping for a resurgence of interest whetted on that cult following for Elena. Or maybe there is more to this Switch 2 launch than we really know. Many things can happen, but for die-hard fans, one can go for pre-ordering her and avoid the day-one rushes.
Good question regarding matching her up with the current SF6 meta. Heavyweights such as Luke and JP have made most of the calls with this one, but Elena has always played the wild card. Any sort of healing mechanic would definitely shake the competitive floor up. Just draining your enemy’s patience while gaining back some health, toxic? Maybe. Successful? Absolutely!
And what about the Switch 2 port? Already playing like a dream on today’s consoles and PC, Street Fighter 6 has always been a bit of a pain on the Switch when it comes to fighting games-input lag, graphics downgrades, you name it. It will change the game for portable fighters if this version lives up to the promise on Switch 2. Undertaking being on the go without performance loss while labbing combos-Now that’s a dream.
So what’s the story now? Capcom cannot say much about future DLC beyond the first year, but if it’s already making waves for Elena, there are going to be a lot many fan favorites on the way. Dudley? Oro? And let’s say it…that certain Brazilian fighter with rainbow hair?”
Well, as it is, all things are Elena now. For the veteran fellows or just curious folks who wish to check out her gameplay on SF6, mark June 5 on your calendars. Pre-order her if you want to jump the gun. Or sit and wait until the pros crack things down. However, that just transformed a much quieter yet thrilling subject.
And hey, if nothing else, then to that, we can all draw a pretty solid conclusion that Switch 2 is real. Everybody-well, Nintendo, Capcom, and the fighting game community-wins. Well, except for maybe the unfortunate souls that have to deal with Elena’s mix-ups. Good luck to them.
