One of the issues some folks have with Street Fighter 6 right now stems from raw Drive Rush. Some players don’t like how hard it is to react to, but even more problematic than that is the slight delay that is caused when the screen freezes upon activation.
This screen freeze has the tendency to cause the opposition’s inputs to fail when trying to counter a raw Drive Rush, which can be incredibly frustrating. A potential idea on how to fix this that some in the community have pitched is removing the screen freeze altogether, but while that does sound like it could make things better, one player modded the game to show what it could actually be like if that change was made — and it’s pretty terrifying.
Through some of our own research and investigation, we learned that the screen freeze caused when raw Drive Rush is activated isn’t really eating inputs, but instead is delaying the buffer window. Essentially, to properly get your inputs you need to delay them beyond what you’d normally expect, but that answer isn’t always an option when it comes to the natural flow of a match.
Naturally, one would think a good solution would be removing the screen freeze entirely. Theoretically, that should fix the issues it causes the opponent’s inputs, but at what cost?
According to a recent post from X user kahikusu, some folks in the Brazilian Street Fighter 6 scene feel that the screen freeze should be eliminated. While that sounds great on paper, pro player Keoma put that potential solution to the test to see how it could actually look in real time.
From the looks of it, Keoma modded the screen freeze out, and after doing so showed what arguably the best Drive Rush in the game looks like without it. In the very brief clip, Dee Jay can be seen performing his raw Drive Rush in neutral without the screen freeze.
Though he still has the green effect around him during the Drive Rush, the start up and overall maneuver feels even faster without that brief screen freeze. As one might surmise, those who struggle to react to raw Drive Rush as it currently stands would have far more trouble reacting to it without the freeze.
Removing that screen freeze makes Dee Jay’s raw Drive Rush (and likely everyone else’s) feel more like Juri’s forward dash in Street Fighter 6, or worse, forward dashes in Street Fighter 5.
Back in Street Fighter 5, forward dashes and the benefits you got from doing one were so strong that the game’s meta evolved into having players needing to constantly and randomly throw out preemptive jabs and shorts just to check them. If a forward dash went unchecked, the aggressor typically gained an instant 50/50 mix up between throw or a normal that would ultimately be plus on block, and even worse, if you reacted too late there was a good chance you were eating a heavy button and getting Crush Countered for massive damage.
There are undoubtedly players who miss Street Fighter 5 and what all it had to offer, but I think I can safely say that most people don’t want Street Fighter 6’s meta to move in that direction as it would be the opposite of what people are asking for. From what we’ve seen, people generally want raw Drive Rush to be more reactable, not less.
All of that having been said, that delay caused by raw Drive Rush’s screen freeze does raise some very legitimate issues for players. Removing it entirely probably isn’t the answer, but maybe there are some tweaks that Capcom can make to it that help players not lose their inputs as frequently.
Et si on enlevait le freeze de l’activation du Drive Rush de #SF6 ?
C’est ce que suggère la communauté brésilienne. Suggestion lors d’un live de Keoma ensuite illustrée par ses soins en vidéo.
On est d’accord, c’est mort jamais de la vie ?#OFLP
— Anis Kx Hmi (@kahikusu) October 24, 2023