Capcom avoids Street Fighter III's disappointment by aging the World Warriors.

Just a few days ago, Capcom debuted new characters and gameplay mechanics from its upcoming Street Fighter 6, but at Summer Game Fest, the beloved game developer and publisher revealed a new spin on a returning character: Guile. Although the military veteran rocks his trademark look—the razor-sharp flat top, flag tattoo, and flash kick—it's his goatee that revealed so much more than anything else in the brief character-focused trailer.

With Street Fighter 6, Capcom bridges the gap between the old and the new, and the character designs highlight that move. Guile's goatee, though a simple aesthetic addition, signals that the character—like other returning fighters—has aged. And in terms of Street Fighter lore, a timeline that currently taps out with 1999's Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, a 23-year old game, that's a very good thing. Capcom is finally pushing the story forward.

Video games, like other pop culture staples, often visually signal male characters as youthful by giving them hairless faces (or maybe a touch of scruff to add a gritty edge). Guile's new goatee, on the other hand, represents that the Air Force vet has aged a few years. He's not the only one.

Ryu's bearded, "Hot Ryu" alternate look from Street Fighter V is now the karate champ's default appearance; a look that accompanies his new brolic build. And, according to a leaked Street Fighter 6 character design sheet, Dhalsim's big beard returns from Street Fighter V, too. Facial hair, in a misguided cultural belief, denotes experience and wisdom—aspects perhaps lacking in Street Fighter 6's young guns.

Aging Guile and Ryu while introducing a fresh cast of characters enables Capcom to avoid the mistake the company made with the Street Fighter III series. That series debuted with Street Fighter III: New Generation, and only featured two returning characters: Ken and Ryu. Although many arcade rats were sick of Street Fighter II's many updates at the time and sought something fresh, they were shocked to see that Chun-Li, E. Honda, Guile, and the other original World Warriors were missing in action (though Chun-Li returned in the 3rd Strike update).

With Street Fighter 6, Capcom is seemingly keeping familiar, fan-favorite characters while placing new fighters at the forefront. Luke is one of those new combatants, a character who debuted as Street Fighter V's final playable character. The MMA fighter has appeared in all of Street Fighter 6's promotional material. In fact, he fights the new goatee Guile in the game's latest character trailer before Ryu does.

Yet, that's not the only lesson learned from Street Fighter III. Street Fighter 6's youthful energy is fueled by its Street Fighter III-like hip-hop vibe. The music revealed so far is all about lyrics and beats, and the general aesthetic is decidedly urban, from the graffiti-splattered super moves and Metro City setting. Hip-hop music is youth music, so it's only right that Street Fighter 6 has a new face in Luke (though Sean would have been a worthy pick). Guile and his scruffy goatee wouldn't work as the face in this energetic Street Fighter.

Still, it's good that they're in the game. Sidelining classic characters in favor of new ones is a tactic that rarely works, and it's a misstep that Capcom isn't too keen on repeating—especially after Street Fighter V's abysmal beginnings. Street Fighter 6 is headed to PC and console in 2023.

For more on Summer Game Fest, check out PCMag's video game feed. Also, peep our The Pop-Off YouTube channel(Opens in a new window) for more video game discussion.

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Since 2004, I've penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including the late, great 1UP; Laptop; Parenting; Sync; Wise Bread; and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skillset as the Managing Editor of PCMag's Apps & Gaming team.

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