The Story Behind Tifa’s Inclusion in Street Fighter 6 and What It Means for Future Guest Characters

Like many fans, I was thrilled to see Tifa Lockhart join the roster of Street Fighter 6. While I didn’t exactly scream loud enough to reach the stars, I definitely cheered and raised my arms in excitement when she made her appearance alongside the other three Year 4 DLC fighters during the Summer Game Fest.

However, some long-time Street Fighter enthusiasts expressed concerns that future content might turn into a revolving door of guest characters. Although Tifa isn’t the first guest to join SF6—SNK’s Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui were part of Year 2—she is the first character to come from outside both Capcom and the fighting game genre.

During the Summer Game Fest, SF6 director Takayuki Nakayama shared that bringing Tifa into the mix, along with three new characters, allows the team to explore “new things that previous titles in the series have never attempted,” aiming to attract players who may not have experienced Street Fighter before.

That said, legacy characters won’t be completely sidelined. “We continue to respect the existing lineup and characters within the series, and we want to keep including them,” Nakayama explained through a translator. “We felt that Year 4 is a way to engage those who might not feel comfortable playing a Street Fighter game, or even a fighting game, to really feel at ease doing so.”

This approach aligns with their broader strategy to ensure that Street Fighter 6—and the franchise as a whole—remains relevant for years to come. “Guest characters are something we can leverage and build upon to ensure the series thrives for the next 10-20 years,” Nakayama stated. “We believe this is essential for keeping the series alive and engaging for players.”

As for Tifa, while she hasn’t appeared in a traditional fighting game before (and let’s be honest, titles like Dissidia and Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring aren’t exactly conventional fighters), her martial arts background made her a natural fit. “There were plenty of reference materials to draw from when selecting moves that would suit her,” Nakayama noted, adding that Square Enix has developed other games like Ehrgeiz that provided additional inspiration. (Alright, maybe Ehrgeiz does count after all.)

Nakayama clarified that while the team utilized all available references from Square Enix, Tifa’s portrayal in SF6 “is primarily based on the version of Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.”

He also revealed that Tifa’s inclusion in Street Fighter 6 has been in the works for about three years, with discussions kicking off around the Tokyo Game Show 2023 shortly after the game’s launch. Although Tifa wasn’t initially on their radar when talks with Square Enix began, it quickly became evident that she was the ideal choice. “It was a pretty organic process landing on Tifa,” Nakayama said. “It just makes sense because she is a character who uses martial arts, making her a perfect fit for our game.”

I also inquired about the implementation of Materia, as mentioned by FF7R producer Naoki Hamaguchi during the SGF Live stage, and compared it to Shulk’s ability to enhance his fighting style mid-battle in Super Smash Bros. While I didn’t receive a definitive answer—Nakayama mentioned, “Tifa is not going to come out for a little while now, so I can’t share too much right now”—he did hint that she’ll “probably be different from what you’re imagining.”

Based on the reactions to the latest trailer, the team feels they’re on the right track; they spent the bus ride back to the hotel from the Dolby Theater watching reaction videos on social media. As Nakayama told me, “It’s hard to pick a favorite, but we can confidently say we saw every single one of them.”