Akuma and the Season 2 balance patch are slated for release on May 22. Though it’s suspected that Akuma will be top tier by default despite having the worst vitality, fans have been pondering on how Akuma will mesh with Street Fighter 6’s mechanics.
Back when we were relying on player reports about Akuma from the “Real Battle Hub” event during the first week of May, we heard how Rohto|Tokido was pulling off a terrifying Drive Rush into Raging Demon combination against opponents. Thanks to IGN Japan and HiFight, we can now see this setup in action.
The Raging Demon has traditionally been one of the most damaging attacks throughout each iteration of the Street Fighter series in which the move has appeared in. It really cements Akuma’s role as a glass cannon archetype.
Though the Raging Demon is an unblockable attack that goes across the screen, it should be noted that it can be jumped over. However, if the technique is performed at close proximity, the opposition will not be able to escape.
This is where the Drive Rush will come in handy. With the right setup, the opponent can be made to freeze in place against Akuma’s Drive Rush. During the window in which the Drive Rush can’t be cancelled, the Raging Demon combination can be inputted as Akuma closes the gap.
Should the opponent fail to react in time, then they’ll be caught. Basically, it’s a relatively simple setup, but it’ll lead to huge damage if it hits.
However, there are some important restrictions on the Raging Demon that players will need to be aware of. For one, it effectively acts as Akuma’s second Critical Art, meaning it’ll only be available while he has three bars of super gauge and only 25% of his vitality remaining.
Additionally, we recently learned that this particular Critical Art is not strike invincible, which is different to every other Critical Art in the game. Instead, it’s only projectile invincible, which is an inverse to level 1 super arts in Street Fighter 6.
Regardless, being able to check Akuma’s Drive Rush will be very important, but this will also be extremely risky considering the additional frame advantage this option gives to the next normal. Due to the high price of the Raging Demon, we’ll likely only need to keep it in mind once per match.
Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see just how powerful and relevant this setup is after Akuma is released on May 22. More than likely, Akuma will quickly rise to the top in terms of popularity online, so everyone will likely get plenty of Akuma experience then.
Check out in action below:
DRIVE RUSH DEMON pic.twitter.com/N33ughMXsQ
— HiFight(ハイファイト) (@HiFightTH) May 10, 2024