As you noticed with our cowl reveal yesterday, one of the crucial 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 area 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 maybe the largest departure from his basic 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 more secure, and the workforce felt like he was dropping a motive to battle,” Nakayama says. “However it is a method to create that motive for him to step up. We need to create that type of plotline that explains why Ken is vital and offers him that function. The story will probably be tied to these different characters near him.”
Sometimes sporting a crimson gi and a clean-shaven face, Ken now rocks a jacket, boots, new crimson pants, and in some depictions, a bit of stubble. Capcom’s fundamental purpose, except for depicting an iconic character in a unique part of his life, was to deliver again the passionate nature that set Ken aside from Ryu within the franchise’s early days.
“The title that left me with the largest 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 a bit of extra playful and lighthearted in a approach. For six, we wished to deliver that fiery explosiveness again into it. As compared, Luke in Avenue Fighter 6 may be extra cheery and a type of playful character. We wished to distinguish from that, so we wished to go along with this extra fiery kind of persona. And there being the story behind Ken and there being a extra severe tone to him, we wished to specific that by way of the character designs as properly.”
Regardless of the varied 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 in a position to see his son Mel for causes unknown,” Nakayama says. “He is in a troublesome state of affairs that you will study extra about sooner or later.”
The curtain will probably 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 will 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 e-book 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 are going to 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 workforce, so there could also be extra stuff past simply the preliminary comedian e-book 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 way of life to maintain a low profile and stay off the radars of the police. That results in the extraordinary circumstances beneath which he is residing throughout the time of Avenue Fighter 6.
We can’t know for certain what is going on on with Ken till this comedian prequel collection and Avenue Fighter 6 arrive, however for now, colour me intrigued. As a Ken fundamental, I like seeing him put into totally different conditions, whilst traumatic 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 desires to deliver again Ken’s fiery persona, and based mostly 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.