Not just a happy birthday bash, but a toe-to-toe celebration prepared by Capcom for the infamy that is the Red Cyclone, Zangief. And the giveaways go up to the sky!
It just happens to be this crazy big brute grappler’s birthday whose voice rendition is provided by that incomparable Peter Beckman. So Capcom is not indulging in some shallow “happy birthday” tweet or something. No sir, in-game festivities all the way! Players will be able to enter Zangief-only tournaments in the Battle Hub, receive bonus Kudos (well, respect really stands for that man), and, wait for it, 1,000 Drive Tickets just for flexing for him. Giveaways!
If you ever found yourself stumbling whilst getting piledriven by Zangief, you would know this guy means serious business. And the fans mean business. The responses from the crowd ranged from players showering him with praises, “Happy birthday to my main Zangief!” to others half-joking that he was the “most annoying Street Fighter to play against” (looking at you, CapcomTheRN). Love and salt are very much real.
It goes without saying: an international chorus rose in the comments, including a Russian quote from Zangief himself: “Мое прекрасное тело стало лучше!”—loosely, “My beautiful body has gotten even better!” Classic.
And there’s still more. Some players got amused by the very thought of a nerf being made in his honor (“E de aniversário vem um nerf ai kkkk”), while others demanded a Fortnite tie-in (“Are we getting wave 2 of Street Fighter in Fortnite?”). I mean, why not, right?
In the meantime, the Street Fighter community is at arms tied, with Classic and Modern Gief players lumbering past each other under the proud banner of “Modern Gief players rise.” Yeah, we see you.
So what is the takeaway here? Zangief’s birthday doesn’t just fall on any random calendar day—it’s a really big Street Fighter 6 affair, with tournaments and goodies and hype worthy enough to earn even the sourest of opponents’ respect for the Cyclone. So if you happen to be the hardest among grapplers, or just pushing the free Drive Tickets, time to log in and just wave at him.
And for those who have never set their feet on the glorious path of Zangief, take this as a sign just to start walking away with spinning piledrivers. Just don’t blame us if you’re going to get hooked.
Turn those Drive Tickets into goodness in the Battle Hub today because we are all Zangief fans.
