Street Fighter 6’s popularity shows no signs of slowing, and its steady release of DLC characters is only helping matters. A.K.I., the next DLC character to join Street Fighter 6’s successful roster, was revealed alongside the other three downloadable fighters, Rashid, Ed, and Akuma, in April. Now, fans finally have a release date to look forward to.
A.K.I., described by the official Street Fighter YouTube account as “the maniacal mistress of poison,” will join the game’s quirky cast on September 27. Any players with the Year 1 Character Pass will unlock A.K.I. automatically after the game updates. Anyone with the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition of Street Fighter 6 will also find A.K.I. in their game’s character roster at that time. If the previous DLC fighter, Rashid, is anything to go by, A.K.I. can be purchased for 350 Fighter Coins (approximately $7 USD) separately when the time comes, although it’s currently uncertain if 350 will be the standard cost for everyone.
Players who want to try her out before committing to buy her can use a Rental Fighter ticket to give her a spin for an hour per ticket. These tickets can be obtained through Fighting Passes, and the current pass’s lineup is no exception. An “A.K.I. Arrives!” Fighting Pass in celebration of her impending appearance is available from now until September 22. Located early on in the free rewards are two Rental Fighter tickets, one at Level 2 (500 Kudos) and one at Level 3 (1000 Kudos). Players will likely breeze past Level 3 within an hour of playing, so be sure to hold onto one (or both!) Rental Fighter tickets for A.K.I.
Related: What is Rental Fighter in Street Fighter 6? – Explained
Lore-wise, A.K.I. is the apprentice of F.A.N.G. from Street Fighter 5. Although he isn’t confirmed to return as a fighter for Street Fighter 6, he will get to appear in some capacity: the Premium Fighting Pass, available for 250 Fighter Coins (approximately 5 USD), includes a sticker of F.A.N.G. at Level 3 (1000 Kudos) and his theme at Level 5 (2000 Kudos).
A.K.I. is the second of four fighters planned for Street Fighter 6’s first year of DLC, after Rashid. Next up will be Ed in Winter 2023, followed by Akuma in Spring 2024. With Rashid and Ed both originating from Street Fighter 5 and the iconic Akuma hailing from Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo, A.K.I. is officially the first all-new DLC character joining the Street Fighter 6 roster.
