The third time might genuinely be the charm for Street Fighter on the big screen. Paramount Pictures and Legendary have dropped the first full trailer for the 2026 Street Fighter movie, and it leans hard into ’90s nostalgia, arcade-faithful fight choreography, and a surprisingly heartfelt rivalry between Ryu and Ken. After two adaptations that most fans would rather forget, this one actually looks like it watched the source material.

The nearly three-minute trailer, released on 16 April ahead of a CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas, sets up a 1993-set story built around the World Warrior Tournament, with Noah Centineo’s washed-up Ken Masters dragged back into the fight by Callina Liang’s Chun-Li. It also puts Hadoukens, Shoryukens and Hundred Lightning Legs on screen without looking embarrassed about it, which is frankly a first for this franchise.

What the Street Fighter Trailer Actually Shows

The trailer opens on Ken in full has-been celebrity mode, screaming through off-key karaoke on what looks like a cringeworthy MTV-style variety show. Centineo plays him as a bleached-blond burnout who has clearly coasted on a fighting career that peaked years ago. It is a bold read on a character fans usually picture as the cocky rich kid, and it is the first sign the film is willing to mess with expectations.

Chun-Li arrives to pull him out of that spiral. Liang plays her as an Interpol-coded operator with a personal grudge, recruiting Ken for the upcoming World Warrior Tournament while making it clear she has already signed his estranged best friend Ryu.

Andrew Koji’s Ryu is the exact opposite energy, a solitary martial artist training alone in the quiet, and the visual match to the in-game character is uncanny.

From there the trailer turns into a highlight reel of moves pulled straight from the games. Ken lands his Shoryuken uppercut and a Jinrai Kick lifted directly from current Street Fighter titles. Chun-Li unleashes the Hundred Lightning Legs. Olivier Richters’ Zangief drops what looks like a piledriver on Ken. Joe Anoa’i’s Akuma hurtles in wreathed in dark energy for a move called Empyrean’s End.

And the whole thing builds to Ryu gathering chi in his palms and finally delivering the word every fan has been waiting to hear on screen: “Hadouken.”

The Plot Leans Into Ryu and Ken’s Broken Friendship

Rather than treating the tournament as the whole movie, the story hangs on the fractured relationship between Ryu and Ken. The two are estranged former best friends and rivals forced to patch things up once Chun-Li pulls them into the bracket, all while M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) uses the tournament as cover for a larger criminal conspiracy tied to the death of Chun-Li’s father.

It is a smart structural choice. Street Fighter as a game series has never carried much of a narrative, and leaning on the Ryu and Ken dynamic gives the film an emotional through-line that does not require rewriting the lore. The trailer even finds room for quick character beats, including a throwaway jab Chun-Li trades with Mel Jarnson’s Cammy about her famously muscular legs, the kind of wink that only lands if the filmmakers actually know the fanbase.

Read More: Avatar The Last Airbender Movie Leaked Online, Animators Call It “Incredibly Disrespectful”

The Full Street Fighter Movie Cast

The ensemble is stacked to the point of absurdity, pulling from wrestling, MMA, music and comedy alongside the lead actors. Here is the confirmed roster from Paramount’s official cast list.

Jason Momoa is also producing, and Centineo teased his transformation into Ken back in August 2025 with a now-deleted post showing off bleached-blond hair and a noticeably cut physique.

A Period Piece Drenched In ’90s Nostalgia

Setting the film in 1993 is the move that ties the whole thing together. It places the story in the era when Street Fighter 2 was genuinely dominating arcades and home consoles, and the trailer milks the period for everything it can. The soundtrack, the MTV sequences, the neon-lit tournament visuals, even a countdown timer in the corner during a beat-up-the-car scene that recreates the iconic bonus stage, it is all tuned for players who grew up feeding coins into an Street Fighter 2 cabinet.

Director Kitao Sakurai is leaning into the camp rather than running from it. His background on The Eric Andre Show and Twisted Metal shows up in the frenetic camerawork and the willingness to let things get weird, and the trailer has more in common with a loving parody than a po-faced martial arts drama. That is arguably the correct read on source material that includes a green electric wild man and a Brazilian grappler who can spin in midair.

Not Every Character Is Landing With Fans

The early reaction online is mostly positive, but a few casting choices are already pulling heat. Ken’s comedic, washed-up framing is dividing fans who expected the usual smug-heir version of the character, and Cody Rhodes’ take on Guile is drawing complaints about the hair and a general vibe that does not quite read as military. Whether those concerns hold up once the full film lands is another question, but the trailer reactions suggest the look of Guile specifically is going to be a discussion point all the way to release.

For context, Street Fighter has sold over 55 million units worldwide since Capcom launched the original in 1987, which makes it one of the highest-grossing video game franchises ever made. That is a lot of long-time fans with very specific ideas about how these characters should look and move, and this is the first trailer in the franchise’s film history that seems to have anticipated that scrutiny.

When the Street Fighter Movie Hits Theatres

Street Fighter opens in theatres on 16 October 2026. Paramount is using CinemaCon this week to screen extended footage to exhibitors, so expect more marketing beats, character posters and possibly a second trailer to roll out across the northern summer as the release date closes in. If the final cut delivers on what this trailer is selling, the franchise’s big-screen curse might finally be broken, three attempts deep.

The post Street Fighter Trailer Drops And It Actually Looks Like the Game for Once appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Capcom’s legendary fighting franchise is stepping back into the spotlight, with Paramount and Legendary officially unveiling the first teaser for the new live-action Street Fighter movie. Revealed during The Game Awards 2025, the teaser offers fans their first look at Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken and a massive, star-studded roster brought to life on the big screen.

Set for release in October 2026, the film aims to reintroduce the World Warrior Tournament to a new generation, while paying clear respect to the franchise’s long history.

First Look Debuts at The Game Awards 2025

The teaser trailer premiered live during The Game Awards in Los Angeles, with several cast members taking the stage to introduce the footage. While brief, the teaser wastes no time showing familiar faces, signature fighting styles, and a tone that leans heavily into classic Street Fighter energy.

This marks the first official footage from the film, and while a full trailer has yet to be released, the early response from fans has been strong thanks to the sheer scale of the cast and the clear commitment to the source material.

Story Details, Set in 1993

According to the official synopsis, the new Street Fighter movie is set in 1993 and centres on long-estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters.

Ryu, played by Andrew Koji, and Ken, portrayed by Noah Centineo, are drawn back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. What begins as a brutal global fighting competition soon reveals a darker conspiracy, forcing the fighters to confront not only each other, but their own pasts. The stakes are clear, lose the fight and it is game over.

A Huge, Star-Studded Cast

One of the biggest talking points from the teaser reveal is the sheer size and diversity of the cast, blending actors, musicians, comedians, and combat sports stars.

The #StreetFighterMovie cast backstage at #TheGameAwards? Pure chaos. Hits theaters everywhere October 16, 2026. pic.twitter.com/vqaWXhrCor

— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) December 12, 2025

Ryu – Andrew Koji

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Ken Masters – Noah Centineo

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Chun-Li – Callina Liang

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Guile – Cody Rhodes

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Vega – Orville Peck

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Balrog – Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Blanka – Jason Momoa

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Dhalsim – Vidyut Jammwal

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Zangief – Olivier Richters

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

E. Honda – Hirooki Goto

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

M. Bison – David Dastmalchian

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Akuma – Roman Reigns

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Dan Hibiki – Andrew Schulz

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Don Sauvage – Eric André

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Cammy – Mel Jarnson

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Juli – Rayna Vallandingham

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Joe – Alexander Volkanovski

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Who’s Behind the Film

The film is directed by Kitao Sakurai, with a screenplay written by Dalan Musson. It is co-produced by Legendary alongside Capcom, ensuring the original creators are directly involved in bringing the franchise back to cinemas. Paramount Pictures is handling global distribution.

This marks the latest attempt to adapt Street Fighter for the big screen, following the 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and the 2009 spin-off Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

Release Date and What Comes Next

Street Fighter is officially set to hit theatres worldwide on October 16, 2026. While the teaser gives fans a taste of what’s to come, there is currently no full-length trailer available.

With more footage, character posters, and marketing expected over the coming months, the World Warrior Tournament is only just getting started.

The post Street Fighter Live-Action Movie Teaser Revealed at The Game Awards, Full Cast and Release Date Confirmed appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

With the first BETA for Street Fighter V fast approaching on July 23rd, 2015 we felt that this would be the perfect time to let you all know what you can expect when you log in and also answer some questions that fans have voiced as of late.

The first BETA kicks off on July 24th, 2015 @ 11:00 AM for 5 days and is exclusive to PS4 gamers. The primary purpose of this BETA is to test the online net code, as this is something that Capcom is taking very seriously with Street Fighter V. The data that they receive from this BETA will help to improve the net code in the final product.

Oh and there’s even a New Zealand themed arena!

Throughout the course of the BETA, all 6 characters will be available. This means that players will be able try out all the characters that were present on the E3 2015 build. To set expectations clearly, the BETA will roll out with four characters playable immediately, with Birdie and Cammy becoming playable on Saturday, July the 25th, 2015. The reason for their delayed release is that in addition to testing out the net code, Capcom are also testing out their new content delivery system.

When players boot the game up and go past the Start screen, they’ll be taken to the character select screen.

Players should choose the character they would like to fight others with, as they will not be able to select a different character before heading into battle. Once they select their character, players will be placed into training mode while an opponent is found. Upon finding an opponent, players will be transported back to the versus screen and begin their match shortly thereafter. After the match is complete, players will then be brought back to the Grid where they will go back into queue for the next match.

Unfortunately there will be no local versus mode during this BETA. Once again, the primary purpose of this BETA is to test the online functionality.

While players are awaiting their match, they’ll be training in the Grid. Versus matches will take place in either theBustling Side Street (China), Terminal Station (London) or in the brand new stage the Forgotten Waterfall.

Each of the stages has been inspired by various locales throughout the world with the Forgotten Waterfall’s inspiration being directly pulled from New Zealand.

So Kiwi’s (and the rest of the world) SIGN UP NOW for the BETA and get ready to kick some ass Street Fighter style on your PS4 this July!

The post Street Fighter V BETA with a NZ Flavour! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Easy to learn, difficult to master.

This is perhaps the mantra behind any great fighting game, when well designed, these titles should be a Russian doll of technicality, as the player pushes deeper, they come to appreciate an even smaller nuance of game design which lends the upper hand to the more skilled combatant.

Street Fighter has long lounged on the throne of fighting games, despite a few hiccups in recent years;it remains the gold standard by which other fighting games are measured. Mortal Kombat might be the visceral gore soaked thriller, Tekken might have a sleekly produced mass appeal, but the die hard fighting fan will still always tout Street Fighter as the king of the blood soaked hill.

In this latest offering, the best possible version of Ultra Street Fighter IV is brought to consoles, along with all bundled DLC and a slick new graphical coating. Whether or not this is a cash grab by the developers, re-releasing a title which has already been released multiple times, is a discussion many have been having vehemently.

My take is, this is a complete version of a great game, it may not be worth re purchasing if you already own an earlier iteration, but is a wonderful entry point for the novice and returning pro alike, with an enormous amount of content that is well worth the asking price.

In terms of comparison to previous releases of this game,Ultra Street Fighter looks phenomenal, playing at 60 fps and at 1080p not only makes the series’ signature cartoonish style vividly pop off the screen, additionally it makes the games action even more visually cohesive.

The iconic roster of Street Fighter is bigger than ever with this release, all the favourite classics along with the latest in DLC offerings, with various skins and outfits for each fighter. Not only are there aesthetic variations for characters, but gameplay altering “Omega” modes as well, leading to an impressive level of diversity in matchups.

An aspect of this game which may be off putting for the new comer is the scarily steep skill difference between the casual couch matchup and the online encounter.

Street Fighter is a tight game, so much so that you can always feel that you learn from your mistakes instead of simply being frustrated by unbalanced design elements, however one issue I did take was a lack of support for the new comer into certain elements of gameplay.

Navigating from pause screen to move lists for example, a center point of any fighting game is occasionally needlessly complicated and breaks the rhythm of combat, something that a new player is almost certainly going to be doing constantly. This is a minor quibble however, and the fundamentals of Street Fighter’s controls are still accessible enough so that the new player will never feel needlessly daunted when striving to master the games subtleties.

At the time of writing this review, the game has already been commercially available long enough for certain crucial patches to have ben put in place, so it is important to note that players using an earlier version of the game have often encountered game destroying bugs and latency issues.

However, I myself have found the entire experience of the game to be relatively bug free, with the exception for the most minor of frame rate issues and lag during online competitive play. It is perhaps problematic the technical standard to which the fighting game is held in this regard, as even the most minor glitch in performance during a match is immediately game changing, as at a high level the response time must be almost immediate or the outcome of a match can be altered, much to the players frustration.

I can understand this anger, but at the same time feel the need to highlight that may be somewhat unfair when there are certain issues that a developer will necessarily be forced to address post release, once the general public are fully engaged with the game and exposing any cracks in the games coding. Fighting games must always bear the onus of having even the most minor of technical faults becoming critical errors, as the response time for players is so vitally important.

Overall Street Fighter Ultra IV is a bargain at its asking price, and packages the long time king of fighting games in one content rich, visually fantastic bundle. Its combination of technical depth, alongside a (mostly) accessible control system, and is a strong reminder of why Street Fighter remains the pro gamer’s favourite.

The post Street Fighter Ultra Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.