The meta for Street Fighter 6 continues to evolve as more and more interesting tech is found and adjustments are made. Top players consistently demonstrate impressive solutions, combos, and set ups that paint a more detailed picture of the game we’re all currently playing.
One of the best players to watch who continues to revolutionize the game is none other than fighting game legend Rohto|Tokido, and it looks like the powerful competitor is onto something potentially game changing. A clip from one of Tokido’s recent matches showcases some very interesting tech that appears to make defending against Drive Impact when in burn out far more effective.
The footage was shared on Twitter by ShadyK and points out exactly what Tokido is doing here. In the clip, we see Tokido’s trademark Ken going up against Nemo’s M. Bison, and things kick off with the former firing off a big Overdrive Shoryuken on wake up to stop Bison’s OD Psycho Crusher and escape the corner.
Now, before we get into the specifics of what’s happening here, let’s quickly recap what burnout is and how this all works. Basically, when a player spends all six of their Drive Gauge bars, they will enter a burnout state in which they can no longer use Drive Gauge.
This means that access to universal mechanics like Drive Rush, Drive Impact, Drive Reversal, and Parry are all gone for a window of time and do not return until the player’s burnout has concluded. In addition to this, any attacks that a burnt out player blocks have added frame advantage, and in Street Fighter 6 the stun mechanic is also activated when Drive Impact makes contact with a burnt out opponent and they hit a wall.
Needless to say, being burnt out is a terrible spot to be in, and unless you have an invincible super handy, defending against Drive Impact while in burnout is very difficult. You’ll either need to counter the Drive Impact with a reversal super, use movement options to stay away from the opponent and the corner, or use character-specific special moves like JP’s counter to survive — though that last option doesn’t work if the gap between a normal and the Drive Impact is small enough.
With all of this in mind, what we see Tokido doing here (consistently, I might add) is hit confirming into Ken’s light kick Hurricane Kick from standing heavy punch. In the footage, he does this several times and while actively fishing for it, he even changes things up and goes for Jinrai Kick pressure instead when Nemo opts not to Drive Impact.
In Street Fighter 6, Drive Impact has two hits of armor meaning it will blow through up to two standard hits and still remain active. If a third hit is added fast enough, though, the armor will break and the Drive Impact will stop.
Tokido is using standing heavy punch not only for its amazing reach, but also because it is special cancellable. With light kick Hurricane Kick being only 4 frames of start up and hitting twice in very quick succession, Tokido is essentially throwing out standing heavy punch, reacting to the visual of Drive Impact, then hit confirming into LK Hurricane Kick to shatter its armor.
tokido’s mastery of niche scenarios. he is definitely reacting to hit vs DI, like a god pic.twitter.com/7DwQ4AgvJE
— Long Tran (@Shady_K) September 12, 2024
What’s wild is that in the clip we see Tokido take full control of the momentum despite being in burnout — something I don’t believe we’ve ever seen in Street Fighter 6. Usually, the momentum shifts heavily into the favor of the player not in burn out due to all of the aforementioned reasons, and I can’t recall a time I’ve ever seen someone in burnout seemingly have the advantage against a player who isn’t burnt out.
This could mean several very important things and might be a legitimate game changer.
For one, in a game where a well-rounded tool kit is extremely important for consistency, Ken having the ability to essentially fight off Drive Impact while in burnout could lead to him climbing even further up the tier list.
This revelation also means that the community is going to have to start digging into other characters to see if any others can do something similar. Fellow Shotos Ryu and Akuma could theoretically perform the same inputs in this situation, but both of their light kick Tatsus have 12 frames of start up instead of Ken’s 4 frames, which means they probably won’t be able to get the special move out in time to break the Drive Impact.
On the other side of the coin, this tech might simply be something that can be attributed to Tokido’s unbelievable skill in fighting games, and it’s possible that the wider audience won’t be able to consistently recreate it. That being said, I can’t imagine this won’t be something other top level pro players pick up on and start using themselves.