Street Fighter 6 newcomer A.K.I., a faintly disturbing character who specialises in poisons and long fingernails, joins the roster in September.
Update: Having had her big reveal at Las Vegas’ EVO 2023 fighting tournament in early August, A.K.I. is set to officially join Street Fighter 6's roster on 27 September. The snakelike combatant, who specialises in poisons and slithering attacks, will be the game’s 20th name in its lineup.
Straight from Capcom, A.K.I.’s moveset is as follows:
Serpent Lash: A.K.I. shoots her nails forward in a chain-like shape, which will inflict poison on contact. If the move strikes an already-poisoned character, an explosion called Toxic Blossom will trigger and allow for follow-up attacks.
Nightshade Pulse: A.K.I. creates a bubble projectile which poisons on contact. A follow-up move, Nightshade Chaser, lets her pop the bubble before it makes contact, which increases its area of effect.
Orchid Spring: A.K.I. creates a poisoned puddle on the ground in front of her, which poisons opponents who step in it.
Sinister Slide: A.K.I. lays on the ground and slides her body around the stage like a snake. Her low position allows her to avoid attacks and find opportunities for quick follow-ups.
Claws of Ya Zi: Her Level 3 Super Art and the final attack shown in the trailer, A.K.I. pokes multiple areas on the opponent’s body with her claws, which injects a poison that eventually explodes.
Ahead of A.K.I.’s debut, Capcom is making a new Fighter Pass available from 1 September (thanks, Gamespot) and will include lots of A.K.I.-themed cosmetics for anyone who fancies dressing their character up as what her creators describe as a cold-blooded sociopath.
Our original story follows…
Original story 7 August 2023: EVO 2023, the annual fighting tournament held in Las Vegas over the weekend, was the venue for several announcements from the world of – logically enough – fighting games.
Among the more surprising was the latest addition to Street Fighter 6's character roster. Her name’s A.K.I., and she’s a “maniacal poison aficionado” with a bloodcurdling laugh and a worrying appetite for murder.
Capcom’s teaser trailer shows off the character design – all long fingernails and geometric hair – but also A.K.I.’s seeming penchant for forcing poisonous drugs into the mouths of her victims.
“Some poisons can kill people with a thousandth of that amount,” A.K.I. coos as her young target’s jaw swivels open in horror. She then goes on to list the symptoms of her poison on grisly detail: “…dizziness, visual impairment, heavy eyelids, intense thirst, loss of speech, vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties…”
A maniacal poison aficionado, A.K.I. can't wait to sink her nails into her opponents in autumn 2023.
💅 Feed your obsession with her by keeping your eyes peeled for more details to come. #StreetFighter6 pic.twitter.com/POp8fE3OiR
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) August 7, 2023
Maybe we’re getting old, but isn’t this all… a bit much? Street Fighter characters are all about tough talk and potentially deadly skills, but A.K.I. might be the first addition who’s an actual, cold-blooded sociopath. We’re intrigued to see how she uses her poison ability in the heat of battle; does she have to wait until the perfect moment so she can throw one of her poison pills in an opponent’s mouth? If the move doesn’t work out as planned, do the pills just ping awkwardly off a rival’s forehead?
A.K.I.’s teaser trailer certainly marks the first time a character’s said the word ‘diarrhoea’ in a Street Fighter game, that’s for sure.
Capcom’s creepy new addition is due to appear in Street Fighter 6 this autumn, and is the second combatant to debut in the game following Rashid of the Turbulent Wind. Rashid joined the game in July, and his gusty abilities turned out to be so effective that Capcom had to tone them down with an emergency fix.
In other Street Fighter 6 news, the game’s also getting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover, due to go live on 8 August. “Get radical gear, emotes, stamps and more cosmetic options for your custom avatar,” Capcom announced in a recent tweet (or X post, if you must).
