Gill and The Illuminati are still active in Street Fighter 6, according to director

Also a quick update on the people looking for Q

Gill, the leader of the Secret Society, better known as The Illuminati, are still active in Street Fighter 6, according to the game’s director, Takayuki Nakayama.

The Illuminati and Gill were first introduced in the 1997 release of Street Fighter 3: New Generation, and the main bad guys earned a spot in many gamers’ hearts and minds since that time.

Nakayama was asked if Gill and The Illuminati are still present and active in Street Fighter 6. “There’s a bit about them in the Rashid story (It’s an old story),” he wrote on X.

During Street Fighter 6’s World Tour, Rashid mentions his ancestors founded a kingdom, but it was a long time ago, before any of the people currently around were alive — at least, so he thinks.

Rashid notes that his ancestor’s kingdom got destroyed, as they were ambushed and driven off the land. The legend states the invaders had fair skin and golden hair, and flew banners split evenly in red and blue.

At that point, an image pops up which shows Gill riding on horseback with his horse having red and blue coverings around him, followed by an army with red and blue flags, which is obviously a reference to The Illuminati, pictured above.

Nakayama also states that The Illuminati have a sign in Beat Square in Metro City, so they must be active. The billboard is in blue and red text and talks about paradise and a balance between powers.

So while we do not know the specifics of what Gill and The Illuminati are up to at this time, it’s very clear they’re still at work, even if Necro and Effie managed to escape from their clutches.

Going further, Street Fighter 6’s director was asked about Lily and her ability to tap into the Satsui No Hado and what the future may hold for her and her tribe.

“If they go for strength, they will eventually meet Gill and the Illuminati. However, that is not now. That’s a little different from their beliefs,” Nakayama said.

It’s very clear there are numerous ties to multiple major characters in Street Fighter 6 that lead directly back to Gill and The Illuminati, so it should only be a matter of time before we hear from him and his organization again.

Lastly, Nakayama touched on the three people seen in Q’s ending for Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, as they had CFN profiles created for them a ways back. These three are trying to track down Q in the stills shown after you beat the game’s arcade mode with him.

“They are still searching for the mystery of ‘Q’. They are being watched closely by upper management for the use of their huge budget,” wrote Nakayama.

You can also read our thoughts on who the playable characters from Street Fighter 3 could be in the future, based on story cues and popularity polls.