Capcom has announced one last Street Fighter 6 Beta before the game's release on June 2, 2023, with this one open to all challengers, presumably to test the servers ahead of launch.
Despite already releasing a demo version of Street Fighter 6 as one final treat for players, at the end of last month's Street Fighter Showcase stream, Capcom has surprised players by announcing a third and final beta test for the next generation of Street Fighter.
While we've had two closed beta tests (and a Street Fighter 6 preview session) to get our mitts on the game before now, Capcom is opening the doors to the once-exclusive club "because so many people sent a request during the recent closed beta test", taking to the Capcom website with the announcement of a Street Fighter 6 open beta.
As with any beta test, be prepared for server issues as the whole point of a beta like this is to test out the servers ahead of launch. From my own experience playing the Street Fighter 6 closed beta last October and December, the first few hours could get a bit rough before smoothing out before the weekend was over. Hopefully things will be a bit smoother this time, but it's something to keep in mind.
Street Fighter 6 open beta: start times
The Street Fighter 6 open beta start time is set for Friday, May 19 at 8am BST / 3am EDT / 12am PDT. The beta will run the entirety of the weekend before closing on Monday, May 22 at 8am BST / 3am EDT / 12am PDT .
Street Fighter 6 open beta: preload
The Street Fighter 6 open beta preload will be available from Tuesday, May 16 at 8am BST / 3am EDT / 12am PDT . The download will be roughly 25GB in size, as the content of the open beta is set to be the same as last year's closed beta.
It's unknown at this time whether players who participated in last year's Street Fighter 6 closed beta will need to download a new client, or if an update will be released for the current version like it was for the October closed beta client during the December closed beta.
Street Fighter 6 open beta: platforms and how to sign up
The Street Fighter 6 open beta will be available on PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S, despite the final release being available on PS4, the beta will sadly be unavailable for PS4 players. Street Fighter 6 – and by extension the Street fighter 6 open beta – will be unavailable on Xbox One. The Street Fighter 6 open beta features crossplay so you'll be able to play with anyone regardless of platform (except PS4 obviously).
To access the Street Fighter 6 open beta players will need to have a Capcom ID, and link it to any and all platforms they intend to play the Street Fighter 6 open beta on. Players can sign up for and link a Capcom ID on the Capcom ID website. We'd recommend you do this now to make sure your beta experience is as smooth as possible.
Street Fighter 6 open beta: characters and content
The Street Fighter 6 open beta content will be exactly the same as last December's Street Fighter 6 closed beta test. The eight characters included in the beta are as follows:
- Luke
- Jamie
- Kimberly
- Chun-Li
- Ryu
- Ken
- Guile
- Juri
Players will have access to the game's Battle Hub mode, and will be able to create an in-game avatar (although this one will not carry over to the full game like in the Street Fighter 6 demo). They can prowl the Battle Hub to challenge players in Ranked, Casual, Extreme Battle and Battle Hub matches, or play some Capcom Classics like Final Fight in the Game Center. You'll also be able to check out six of the game's commentators.
Between the Street Fighter 6 demo, which showcases Fighting Grounds and World Tour, and the upcoming Street Fighter 6 open beta showcasing the Battle Hub, players will be able to get the entire Street Fighter 6 experience ahead of its launch on June 2, 2023.
