As you noticed with our cowl reveal yesterday, some of the iconic characters is a centerpiece of Avenue Fighter 6’s story. Ken Masters, one of many two unique playable Avenue Fighter characters, steps again into the highlight with an all-new backstory. As quickly as his new look was unveiled, the Avenue Fighter neighborhood had a discipline day pondering what occurred to place Ken within the tough state he appeared, with memes popping up deeming him “Hobo Ken.” Whereas at Capcom’s headquarters in Osaka, Japan, we spoke with Avenue Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and artwork director Kaname Fujioka to get extra particulars about what’s going on in Ken’s life across the time of Avenue Fighter 6.
Returning World Warriors like Ryu, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Blanka all sport new appears to be like, however Ken is probably the most important departure from his traditional look. Longtime Avenue Fighter followers have seen his evolution from Ryu’s rival to husband of Eliza, father of Mel, and ex-vice president of the Masters Basis. Avenue Fighter 6 introduces the character to a brand new period with new motivations.
“All through the collection, it looks like his life has change into increasingly steady, and the crew felt like he was dropping a motive to battle,” Nakayama says. “However it is a strategy to create that motive for him to step up. We need to create that sort of plotline that explains why Ken is vital and provides him that goal. The story can be tied to these different characters near him.”
Usually sporting a pink gi and a clean-shaven face, Ken now rocks a jacket, boots, new pink pants, and in some depictions, just a little stubble. Capcom’s important purpose, except for depicting an iconic character in a distinct part of his life, was to carry again the passionate nature that set Ken aside from Ryu within the franchise’s early days.
“The title that left me with the most important impression was the Avenue Fighter II collection and the way I see Ken within the Avenue Fighter II collection is, compared to Ryu, who’s extra stern and severe, I see Ken as a fiery and explosive character,” Fujioka says. “All through the evolution of the collection, there’s been totally different sorts of Kens as properly. Within the Alpha collection, he was just a little extra playful and lighthearted in a method. For six, we needed to carry that fiery explosiveness again into it. Compared, Luke in Avenue Fighter 6 may be extra cheery and a sort of playful character. We needed to distinguish from that, so we needed to go together with this extra fiery sort of character. And there being the story behind Ken and there being a extra severe tone to him, we needed to precise that by way of the character designs as properly.”
Regardless of the assorted hints dropped throughout my time at Capcom, the studio stays tight-lipped on the particular narrative causes Ken is on this perilous state. “For gamers who begin up Avenue Fighter 6, they will anticipate that Ken is now on the run from one thing, and he isn’t capable of see his son Mel for causes unknown,” Nakayama says. “He is in a tricky state of affairs that you will study extra about sooner or later.”
The curtain can be pulled again on Ken’s backstory by way of a particular four-issue comedian collection from longtime Capcom collaborator UDON Leisure. The storyline will give us loads of perception into what is going on on with Ken whereas setting the stage for Avenue Fighter 6’s story. Luke can even characteristic prominently on this collection of comics, as will Ken’s son, Mel.
“That is the primary time that we’re doing this type of comedian guide collection that is carefully tied to the story of the primary recreation,” Nakayama says. “We’re working very carefully with our companions at UDON. We’re offering the script and the storyline of what to anticipate earlier than the occasions of Avenue Fighter 6. They’ll be serving to us to create the storylines. Past that, they’re even working into attainable spin-offs as properly, and collaborating with the scriptwriters on the crew, so there could also be extra stuff past simply the preliminary comedian guide collection.”
Piecing collectively clues, it appears as if Ken is on the run in relation to a terrorist bombing. In a synopsis of the UDON comedian collection, I study that Ken has misplaced each his standing and fame and is distributed on the run for against the law he did not commit. Within the above nonetheless from the intro to Ken’s Arcade story, the authorities have seemingly apprehended him for interrogation, with questions being raised about “the champ.” Ken apparently will get away from the furry state of affairs depicted within the first shot above and enters a transient life-style to maintain a low profile and stay off the radars of the police. That results in the extraordinary circumstances underneath which he is dwelling through the time of Avenue Fighter 6.
We cannot know for positive what is going on on with Ken till this comedian prequel collection and Avenue Fighter 6 arrive, however for now, coloration me intrigued. As a Ken important, I really like seeing him put into totally different conditions, whilst demanding as this one seems to be. Within the walkout animation for Ken, it appears as if he’s additional emotional on this title. Fujioka tells me he needs to carry again Ken’s fiery character, and primarily based on my time with the sport, it seems they’ve achieved that mission. I am excited to see what else the story has in retailer when Avenue Fighter 6 launches in 2023.