One of Capcom's infamously powerful and iconic characters will be making its way to Street Fighter V as a playable character later this month. Sources say that Akuma (or Goki if you're feeling Japanese) will be one of six new characters included in the game's 2017 Character Pass.
Akuma's arrival was teased back in November during the Capcom Pro Tour North American Finals. Although there has been a slight confusion when Executive Producer Yoshinori Ono clarified that they "never said that a new character is coming", recent revelation finally put all questions to rest when the master of the Satsui no Hado faced his rival Ryu that displayed his skillset.
Similarly, Capcom Unity's official blog through Polygon detailed Akuma's V-Skill as Rakan, or a move "similar to Ryu's MindEye", and giving him the ability to parry incoming attacks and countering it with a palm strike or an upward kick. In addition, Akuma's V-Trigger prepares him for the Dohatsu Shoten. During this time, Akuma's Gohadokens will deal more damage. Hitting an opponent with a Goshoryuken will be accompanied with a "follow-up and violently drives opponent to the ground."
Akuma's first Critical Art is Sekia Koretsuha. He transfers "an incredible amount of Ki" to his palm and strikes the ground. This results in an "exploding pillar of fierce energy" that strikes his opponent. The second and most powerful is the Shun Goku Satsu, or the deadly "Raging Demon": Akuma glides towards his opponent, grabs him and beats him with a "series of devastating strikes" while the screen goes black.
The video teaser also gave Akuma a new kanji. According to Forbes, gone is the previous "heaven" kanji and in its place is "godlike person" insignia, alongside a more prominent hair reminiscent of a lion's mane. Akuma will be available via the Character Pass at $29.99 on December 20. The Pass will also deal a number of "premium battle costumes". Street Fighter V, on the other hand, is now available on the PlayStation 4 and the PC.
