SF6’s Closed Beta will be from 7th to 10th October PST, with invites being handed out beforehand. You’ll be seeing a lot of Street Fighter 6 closed beta combos and matches from pro players and content creators.

If you’re one of the lucky few who got it, here’s a guide to get you started. This feature may be updated with new and developing info, since this is a closed beta session. Things in the build will change when the final version of the game is available for purchase in mid-2023.

Disclaimer: Inputs-wise, we’ll be using numpad notations. So doing a fireball/Hadouken motion is not “Down, Down Forward, Forward + P”, but it’s “236P”. Notations are for players facing right.

Street Fighter 6 General Guide

What The Closed Beta Has

• Casual/Ranked matches for online play.
• Actual ranks (Master, Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, iron, Rookie). If you’re between Diamond and Platinum, you have a one-time rank-down protection as a safety net.
• Extreme Battle for online play.
• No offline VS mode.

Use This Fighting Game Glossary

We’ll be using a number of specific fighting game terms, like footsies, neutral, buffers, knockdowns, Shotos, and DPs . Use Infil’s fighting game glossary to look up terms and definitions; it’s very helpful.

How The Drive System Works

SF6 has a new fighting game mechanic that makes it unique among its Capcom fighting game peers: the Drive System. This allows players to be creative with their offensive and defensive moves using a separate gauge, though it has its limits if you abuse it too much without thought or planning.

The Drive Gauge has 6 bars (because it’s SF6, naturally). The Drive Gauge refills to full at the start of each round.

Drive Parry

You can use the Drive Meter to do parries (MP+MK). Unlike SF3 parries, there are slightly longer recovery frames when you parry, so you cannot guarantee a punish when you successfully parry someone’s attack. Think of this as a tool to set you back to neutral. One thing to note: parries have a shorter recovery if you press the inputs rather than holding it.

Pressing the Parry input at the right time will initiate Perfect Parry, where the screen freezes for a second. That’s your cue to punish your opponent as you see fit, be it a BnB knockdown combo or a raw Super Art.

Drive Rush

You can also use the Drive Gauge to do a Drive Rush, which is a move you can cancel from an attack or a Parry. Drive Rush from Parries uses up 1 Drive bar, while Drive Rush from attacks cost 3 bars.

The Drive Gauge allows you to use Drive Reversal (6 HP+HK on block/parry). It costs 2 bars. You can use it like you would a V-Reversal from Street Fighter 5; it even deals grey life damage too. However, you can do a Drive Reversal from a Parry.

Overdrive/EX Moves

Overdrive Moves are basically EX moves from past Capcom fighting games, but they use the Drive Gauge. So yes, you have access to a fully invincible reversal move/DP at the very first round of a fight; a rarity in fighting games.

Drive Impacts

Drive Impacts (HP+HK) are slow but hard-hitting crumple state-guaranteed moves that costs 1 Drive Bar. Drive Impacts have multiple hits of armour, so all attacks and combos targeted on Drive Impacts will be absorbed. It reduces 1 bar of an opponent’s Drive Gauge on hit, and It’s also safe on block because of the pushback. If you Drive Impact someone at a corner, they’ll be in a wall splat state where you can follow up with big damage combos.

However, Drive Impacts are heavily telegraphed visually. You can counter them by either jumping, throwing them mid-Drive Impact before the hit lands, or strategically dashing out of the way. Or you can just Drive Parry or retaliate with your own Drive Impact. Also, the armour does not go through Supers, so you can do a raw Super if you see the Drive Impact animation coming your way.

And if you want that crumple state, your Drive Impact needs to absorb at least one hit from an opponent’s offense. Think of it as a reward for making the right read on an opponent’s wakeup or button-mashing tendencies.

If you need video, here’s an in-depth breakdown by renowned Asian fighting game content guru HiFight, who also admits that it’s a pretty complex system in Street Fighter history. Also, go buy his game Footsies.

Street Fighter 6 Character Guide

Ryu

Playstyle: THE Shoto of Street Fighter 6. The main gameplan is to play solid footsies with fireballs and pokes, and then uppercut fools who jump/dash at you. Perfect for beginners getting into the game.

Notable Moves

Hadouken: 236P – Staple Fireball. Footsie and zoning tool.
Shoryuken: 623P – Staple uppercut and anti-air. Huge recovery, but invincible on wake-up, so it’s a great reversal if you’re pressured.
Denjin Charge: 22P
Hurricane Kick/Tatsumaki Senpyuu Kyakuu: 214K (Air OK) – Staple horizontal attack. Covers lots of horizontal space and good combo-ender.
Donkey Kick: 234K – Good combo ender too.
Level 1 Super – 236236P
Level 2 Super – 214214K
Level 3 Super – 236236P

Ken

Playstyle: Rushdown mixup Shoto. He’s a faster and more offensive version of Ryu, with command runs and leap kicks to get him to his opponent’s face. He has Crazy Kicks in this version of the game, where he pulls off forward-moving roundhouse kicks with different follow-ups for pressure and mixup options.

Notable Moves

Dragonlash Kick: 623K -EX version (KK instead of K) makes an opponent bounce off the ground, letting you follow up with more combos.
Dragon Punch: 623P
Hadouken: 236P
Hurricane Kick (Air OK): 214K -Multi-hit version of Ryu’s Tatsu.
Jinrai/Crazy Kick: 236K, then either 6LK, 6MK, or 6HK
Quick Dash: KK – You can follow up the dash with an uppercut, a Dragonlash kick, or any regular kick for different property moves.
Target Combo 1: MP,HP
Target Combo 2: MK,MK,HK
Level 1 Super: 214214K
Level 2 Super: 236236K
Level 3 Super: 236236P

Chun-Li

Playstyle: Advanced footsie-based fighter, with stances. She’s a little tougher to use than before, but her stances means she has more options for offense and keeping enemies to her zone of attacks better.

Notable Moves

Kikouken: 4(2secs)6P – Fireball for zoning and footsies.
LIghtning Legs: 236P – Combo-ender.
Serenity Stream: 214P – use this to get to her new stance which opens up new moves for her to use.
Hassanshu: 214K – Overhead special.
Spinning Bird Kick: 2(2secs)8K – Combo ender, and knocks down.
Up Kicks: 22K
Air Target Combo (Air Only): HP,HP
Air Throw (Air Only): LP+LK. It’s back and is the best anti-air tool if you’re fast.
Flip Kick: 3HK
Forward Spin Kick: 6HK
Head Stomp (Air Only): 2MK, then 2MK, then 2MK – Can be followed up 2 times if the first one hits.
Level 1 Super: 236236P
Level 2 Super: 236236K
Level 3 Super: 214214K

Guile

Playstyle: Defensive turtle with great zoning capabilities. His main tools are his Sonic Boom projectiles and Flash Kicks. He isn’t as fast as other offense-heavy characters but he doesn’t need to be. If you make your opponent stop attacking and make him second-guess his/her decision, you already are in control.

Notable Moves

Sonic Boom: 4(2 seconds)6P – Fast projectile and very low recovery. Like previous games, you can store the charge by holding 1 so you can block.
Flash Kick: 2(2 seconds)8K – Best anti-air. Like previous games, you can store the charge by holding 1 so you can block.
Sonic Blade: 214P – Follow up this stationary blade with a Sonic Boom for a 2-hit projectile.
Air Throw (Air Only): 6LP+LK or 4LP+LK
Burning Straight: 4HP
Guile High Kick: 3HK
Knee Bazooka: 4LK – One of Guile’s best moves to move him forward as you store charge for your Sonic Boom/Flash Kick.
Level 1 Super: 4(2 seconds)646P
Level 2 Super: 214214P
Level 3 Super: 4(2 seconds)646K

Luke

Playstyle: Shoto Plus. What you saw in Street Fighter 5 is what you’ll get in Street Fighter 6: he has a fast projectile, anti-air, and Flash Knuckles that travel horizontally and can be charged for different properties. Perfect for beginners getting into the game.

Notable Moves

Flash Knuckle (Air OK): 214P or hold P
Sand Blaster: 236P. Super-fast projectile.
Avenger: 236K, then either P or K for follow-up attacks
Overhead punch: 6P
Anti-air high kick: 4K
Target Combo 1: 6P,P
Target Combo 2: LP,MP,HP
Level 1 Super: 236236P
Level 2 Super: 214214P
Level 3 Super: 236236K

Jamie

Playstyle: Advanced rushdown and mixups, using buffs that give him more moves and advantages. You will need to have him take swigs of his ki-unleashing drink to get to Level 4 so that he has new moves and better frame advantages for his attacks. If you want technical fighters with resource-management mechanics, Jamie’s your guy.

Notable Moves

Arrow Kick: 623K
Bakkai (2 Drinks): 236P
Freeflow Strikes: 236P, then 6P/6p,6p/6K/6K,6K
Luminous Dive Kick (1 Drink): Jump forward, then 214K
Swagger Step: 214P, then follow up with 6P
Hermit Elbow: 4HP
Overhead Kick: 6MK
Sensei Kick: 6HK
Target Combo 1: 2HK,HK,P
Target Combo 2 (1 Drink): LP,LK,MP
Level 1 Super: 236236P
Level 2 Super: 214214P
Level 3 Super: 236236P

Kimberly

Playstyle: Advanced rushdown character. She fights like a millennial version of Guy and Zeku, with her own flair and style, as well as spray cans for closing off areas for opponents to back away from her offense. You need to get up and close to opponents if you want to play as Kimberly.

Notable Moves

Air Throw Special (air only): 236P
Bushin Senpukyaku: 214K – Guy special #1: the anti-air multi-hit spinning kick.
Genius At Play (Gain Bomb): 22P
Shuriken Bomb (1 Bomb): 22P
Hidden Variable: 214P – Her teleport.
Sprint: 236K, then P(Emergency Stop)/MK/HK
Elbow Drop (Jump Peak, Air Only): Jump towards, then 2MP
Hisen Kick: 6HK, then 7/8/9
Overhead Kick: 4HK
Target Combo 1: MP,HP
Target Combo 2: LP,MP,HP,HK – The Guy special #2: a combo-ender.
Level 1 Super: 236236K
Level 2 Super: 214214P
Level 3 Super: 236236P

Juri

Playstyle: Intermediate all-rounder with great footsie tools to space opponents away. She has her best moves from Street Fighter 4 and Street Fighter 5 in this sequel. But really, her regular moves have good priority and spacing, meaning you can win most of the match with proper footsie control. Just watch out for Drive attacks.

Notable Moves

Dive Kick (Air Only): Jump forward, then 214K, then follow up with K,K,K
Fuhajin (Gains Charge): 214K – Her special purple kick that lets her store charge for her fireball and other moves.
Go Ohsatsu: 236HK
Low Fireball: 236LK
Ankensatsu: 236MK
Air Throw (Air Only): LP+LK
Korenzan: 4HK
Kyosesho: 6MP
Overhear Kick: 6MK
Renko Kicks: 6HP
Level 1 Super: 236236K or Hold K
Level 2 Super: 214214P or Hold P for Dash
Level 3 Super: 214214K