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Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition is getting one last major update this March

Major fighter balances and tweaks, two visual filters, and more are coming at the end of this month as SFV gets its last major patch.

TJ Denzer

March 18, 2022 9:30 AM

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It’s been a long road for Street Fighter 5. Having originally released in 2016, we’ve had around six years worth of updates, improvements, new fighters, new editions, and more. With Street Fighter 6 looming this coming summer, it’s about time for Capcom to pack it up and start focusing on the new game. With that in mind, Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition is about to get what Capcom is calling the “definitive update” this month, likely the last major update the game will receive.

Capcom announced the Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition March 2022 update with a YouTube video, and on the Street Fighter Twitter. Notably, this update will feature a rebalancing of many of the fighters. Cursed words for a competitor, but we’ll see how the nerfs, buffs, and tweaks play out. That’s not all the game is getting though. SF5’s March 2022 update will also include two visual filters: The Cel Shading Filter to clean the looks up a bit and stylize them more and the Pixel Filter to give the game a more classic look. There are a few other additions coming to the game too like new track suit costume colors.

Street Fighter 5 got a lukewarm response from us when it launched in 2016. The game was simply incomplete, omitting some key modes. It was with many updates that Street Fighter 5 finally came into its own as the fighting game it was meant to be. Nonetheless, it’s had a bit of a rocky road, even as one of the most played fighting games around. A big part of that is the constant support and updates Capcom has implemented on the game. Capcom Cup has been a major yearly event in the FGC and Street Fighter 5 has headlined almost every EVO, including the upcoming EVO 2022.

With Street Fighter 6 announced and coming in late summer 2022, it’s most certainly time for Capcom to bid farewell to Street Fighter 5 and shift its full focus into the new game. Can SF6 get off to a more stable start than SF5 did? It remains to be seen, but there’s still a bit of life in the current game. Stay tuned as we await official patch notes and further updates.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.