Are Street Fighter 6 players too nerf happy? The debate is on.

Street Fighter 6 has been out for a full month. With a bombastic tournament wrapping up over the weekend, the character balance debate is back in a big way. But are players too nerf happy? It’s a conversation as old as the old web forums and arcade fighting, stronger today due to a huge wave of new players flocking to Street Fighter 6.

Make no mistake, Street Fighter 6 has its own collection of troublesome characters in the eyes of many gamers. For the less skilled, Honda’s rear-slam and headbutt stand out as a daunting barrier to ranked progress. For those further up the skill ladder Cammy and JP block progress and at the forefront boost Rush, Deejay and Jamie stand out above all other competitors.

These strong tooled characters in Street Fighter 6 have resulted in a larger than usual nerf call. But here’s the question: do people complain like a bitch? With the game barely out for a month, the community at large hasn’t had time to adjust and experiment with this current meta. These nerf requests come at a time when some of Street Fighter 6’s best and brightest haven’t really addressed problematic characters in the game.

“Probably just a sign of tons of new active players, but man the culture of asking for nerfs before you’re proficient in the game is at an all-time high. You look DUMB go to the LAB,” writes the pro gamer and Fighting game content. creator Brian F. “I’m brainstorming things that will make the game more competitive/fun but a lot of people just want to bomb the characters that cooked them up in ranked lol you’re probably bad at the game like everyone else” .

If you are curious as to why there is a focus on new players, it is due to a cultural difference between generations of players. It’s obviously a generalization, but newer gamers accustomed to a patchy modern gaming environment didn’t exist in the old days before the always-online live service nightmare we find ourselves in today. Back with Street Fighter 4, you had to wait for a major version update to fix the balance. These days, patches come often. All of you pampered!

As time goes on, the tough but fair and the genuinely busted will split. Take Jaime for example! Initially considered low level, he has gradually risen through the ranks to become one of the scariest characters in the game. If the nerfs came out fast and loose, he could very well be a monster right now with few alternatives capable of sharing the spotlight.

Those on the side of patience and bribery shouldn’t worry too much though, as the dev team hasn’t indicated a major nerf is on the way. We know the team is quick to address genuine issues, like the auto-disconnect tech found last week, so it’s not a no-show issue either.

But let us know what you think? Is there a character in Street Fighter 6 that is in dire need of a nerf? Or should we stay back, train, and let things settle first? let us know in the comments below.

For more Street Fighter 6 content, check out our article: CEO 2023 is the FGC at its inclusive best, even as it faces looming anti-LGBTQ+ laws.