Street Fighter V ditches the season pass model in favour of individual DLC

Capcom has long relied on the season pass model in Street Fighter V, releasing public roadmaps for fighters ahead of time at a discounted rate. The release of Kage changed this, resulting in many speculating what the future might be for the flagship fighting game.

Kage debuted at the start of the week, bringing with him the beginning of what would be Season 4’s content in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. Instead of kicking off yet another season pass, Kage was a standalone release only available for purchase for $5.99 or 100,000 Fight Money, currency that can be earned in-game – albeit slowly.

The developer revealed on Wednesday that it currently has “no plans to offer a Season Pass for the 2019 DLC characters,” also making the unusual decision to keep its upcoming additions a secret instead of teasing them. Fortunately, “Kage is only the beginning of the next season,” meaning there are definitely more to come.

Kage can only be purchased individually with Fight Money or real currency. We currently have no plans to offer a Season Pass for the 2019 DLC characters. Stay tuned for information on future updates!

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) December 20, 2018

This change has prompted speculation around Street Fighter V, with many drawing the conclusion that Capcom could be considering a free-to-play model. It could be simpler than that, with Capcom instead winding down development by introducing fewer fighters per season. This suggestion has gained traction, as Capcom has previously revealed that assets are often reused as members of the development team move onto other projects, which could explain Kage being another Evil Ryu.

Still, producer Yoshinori Ono has previously stated to Famitsu that Street Fighter V will be supported until 2020, meaning that it’s not game over just yet. More details of these changes should appear as we head into 2019, with the above remaining purely speculation for the time being.

KitGuru Says: Season Passes often split gamers down the middle, but I’ve always been in favour of them if the content warrants it. I liked how Capcom handled theirs and I’m hoping that its replacement system lives up to the previous standard of content released.

Become a Patron!