As you noticed with our cowl reveal yesterday, one of the vital iconic characters is a centerpiece of Road Fighter 6's story. Ken Masters, one of many two unique playable Road Fighter characters, steps again into the highlight with an all-new backstory. As quickly as his new look was unveiled, the Road Fighter neighborhood had a discipline day pondering what occurred to place Ken within the tough state he appeared, with memes popping up deeming him "Hobo Ken." Whereas at Capcom's headquarters in Osaka, Japan, we spoke with Road Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and artwork director Kaname Fujioka to get more particulars about what's going on in Ken's life across the time of Road Fighter 6.
Returning World Warriors like Ryu, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Blanka all sport new seems to be, however Ken is maybe the most important departure from his traditional look. Longtime Road Fighter followers have seen his evolution from Ryu's rival to husband of Eliza, father of Mel, and ex-vice president of the Masters Basis. Road Fighter 6 introduces the character to a brand new period with new motivations.
"Throughout the series, it seems like his life has become more and more stable, and the team felt like he was losing a reason to fight," Nakayama says. "But this is a way to create that reason for him to step up. We want to create that kind of plotline that explains why Ken is important and gives him that purpose. The story will be tied to those other characters close to him."
Sometimes sporting a purple gi and a clean-shaven face, Ken now rocks a jacket, boots, new purple pants, and in some depictions, a bit of stubble. Capcom's primary aim, apart from depicting an iconic character in a special part of his life, was to carry again the passionate nature that set Ken other than Ryu within the franchise's early days.
"The title that left me with the biggest impression was the Street Fighter II series and how I see Ken in the Street Fighter II series is, in comparison to Ryu, who is more stern and serious, I see Ken as a fiery and explosive character," Fujioka says. "Throughout the evolution of the series, there's been different kinds of Kens as well. In the Alpha series, he was a little more playful and lighthearted in a way. For 6, we wanted to bring that fiery explosiveness back into it. In comparison, Luke in Street Fighter 6 might be more cheery and a kind of playful character. We wanted to differentiate from that, so we wanted to go with this more fiery type of personality. And there being the story behind Ken and there being a more serious tone to him, we wanted to express that through the character designs as well."
Regardless of the varied hints dropped throughout my time at Capcom, the studio stays tight-lipped on the precise narrative causes Ken is on this perilous state. "For players who start up Street Fighter 6, they can expect that Ken is now on the run from something, and he is not able to see his son Mel for reasons unknown," Nakayama says. "He's in a tough situation that you'll learn more about in the future."
The curtain will probably be pulled again on Ken's backstory by means of a particular four-issue comedian series from longtime Capcom collaborator UDON Entertainment. The storyline will give us loads of perception into what is going on on with Ken whereas setting the stage for Road Fighter 6's story. Luke can even characteristic prominently on this series of comics, as will Ken's son, Mel.
"This is the first time that we're doing this kind of comic book series that's closely tied to the story of the main game," Nakayama says. "We're working very closely with our partners at UDON. We're providing the script and the storyline of what to expect before the events of Street Fighter 6. They're going to be helping us to create the storylines. Beyond that, they're even working into possible spin-offs as well, and collaborating with the scriptwriters on the team, so there may be more stuff beyond just the initial comic book series."
Piecing collectively clues, it appears as if Ken is on the run in relation to a terrorist bombing. In a synopsis of the UDON comedian series, I be taught that Ken has misplaced each his standing and repute and is distributed on the run for a criminal offense he did not commit. Within the above nonetheless from the intro to Ken's Arcade story, the authorities have seemingly apprehended him for interrogation, with questions being raised about "the champ." Ken apparently will get away from the bushy scenario depicted within the first shot above and enters a transient life-style to maintain a low profile and stay off the radars of the police. That results in the extraordinary circumstances underneath which he is residing in the course of the time of Road Fighter 6.
We cannot know for positive what is going on on with Ken till this comedian prequel series and Road Fighter 6 arrive, however for now, coloration me intrigued. As a Ken primary, I really like seeing him put into totally different conditions, whilst traumatic as this one seems to be. Within the walkout animation for Ken, it appears as if he's additional emotional on this title. Fujioka tells me he needs to carry again Ken's fiery character, and based mostly on my time with the sport, it seems they've achieved that mission. I am excited to see what else the story has in retailer when Road Fighter 6 launches in 2022.
