'Street Fighter V: Champion Edition' revealed with new character ahead of Capcom Cup 2019

It has been a little over three years since Capcom released "Street Fighter V" for the PS4 and PC. One of the things communicated by the company was its plans to support the game until 2020. So far, the developers have been keeping their word by releasing a steady stream of content for its players. Despite most of these being locked behind a payment wall, there are dedicated gamers who have unlocked these for free via online matches and other game modes. Producer Yoshinori Ono has been teasing a big reveal prior to the weekend, which ended up as a character reveal and an announcement for "Street Fighter V: Champion Edition."

Shortly after Du "KnuckleDu" Dang won the North American Regional Finals for the Capcom Pro Tour (CPT) and was awarded his prize, Ono took the stage. After thanking the crowd and fans for their loyal support, he customarily took his Blanka action figure out of his pocket to the delight of those in attendance. What followed was a short video that showcased Gill as the next DLC fighter. Then came the trailer for the game's next major update

"Street Fighter V: Champion Edition" is slated to launch on February 14, 2020. As detailed by the trailer, it will include the complete roster of characters that have been released so far along with Gill as the 39th addition. Moreover, the promotional image lists a total of 40 fighters, which Eventhubs speculate to be announced at the end of Capcom Cup 2019, in December.

Those who already own the base game will get it as a free upgrade, with the exception of the DLC fighters, stages and costumes, except the ones tied to Fighting Change and CPT paid exclusives. On top of it all, new mechanics such as a second V-Skill and balance changes are on the way as well.

Over the years, even the most avid fans started to complain about Capcom's lacklustre efforts to support the brawler. The gaming industry still remembers the original launch being a huge disaster for the "Street Fighter" franchise. The game was released with only 16 characters, limited single-player content, and poor NetCode, which quickly made people lose interest.

However, it gradually received updates that enhanced gameplay, added more fighters and eventually included the missing arcade mode requested by consumers since day one. Now, "Street Fighter V: Champion Edition" might be the final version of this game. Perhaps there will be more major announcements from the developers in December, after the 2019 Capcom Pro Tour ends.