Street Fighter V! It’s out, and you can pay for it, but it’s not really complete in the way you expect a $60 game to be. Instead, a bunch of its features are rolling out for free over the course of the year. Modern game development, folks.
The first major update hits March 28, and we’ve been over what it includes before. The short version is tutorials, challenges, combo trails, ranked rematch options, and lounges for up to eight players.
Then, a second update on March 30 will bring us the first new character, Alex, and the in-game shop, where you can spend all the fight money you’ve been earning. You know what you won’t be able to spend in that shop? Real money! It seems that Capcom is so uncertain about their servers that they’re not confident in taking your cash until they’ve worked out all the kinks.
Until the real money shop opens, any and all DLC characters, including Alex, will be free to all players. For full details on the somewhat convoluted chain of updates and shop openings, check the official announcement. ”Once the Zenny shop launches, the free trial for any DLC characters that released prior to the Zenny shop opening will end, and players will need to either use Fight Money, Zenny, or the Season Pass to access those characters.”
I have had a great time playing Street Fighter V, but this release has been kind of a mess.