As you noticed with our cowl reveal yesterday, one of the vital iconic characters is a centerpiece of Road Fighter 6’s story. Ken Masters, one of many two authentic playable Road Fighter characters, steps again into the highlight with an all-new backstory. As quickly as his new look was unveiled, the Road Fighter group had a subject day pondering what occurred to place Ken within the tough state he appeared, with memes popping up deeming him “Hobo Ken.” Whereas at Capcom’s headquarters in Osaka, Japan, we spoke with Road Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and artwork director Kaname Fujioka to get extra particulars about what’s going on in Ken’s life across the time of Road Fighter 6.
Returning World Warriors like Ryu, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Blanka all sport new seems to be, however Ken is probably the most important departure from his basic look. Longtime Road Fighter followers have seen his evolution from Ryu’s rival to husband of Eliza, father of Mel, and ex-vice president of the Masters Basis. Road Fighter 6 introduces the character to a brand new period with new motivations.
“All through the collection, it looks as if his life has develop into increasingly more steady, and the crew felt like he was dropping a cause to struggle,” Nakayama says. “However it is a strategy to create that cause for him to step up. We need to create that type of plotline that explains why Ken is essential and provides him that goal. The story can be tied to these different characters near him.”
Sometimes sporting a purple gi and a clean-shaven face, Ken now rocks a jacket, boots, new purple pants, and in some depictions, a little bit stubble. Capcom’s predominant purpose, except for depicting an iconic character in a distinct part of his life, was to deliver again the passionate nature that set Ken aside from Ryu within the franchise’s early days.
“The title that left me with the most important impression was the Road Fighter II collection and the way I see Ken within the Road Fighter II collection is, compared to Ryu, who’s extra stern and severe, I see Ken as a fiery and explosive character,” Fujioka says. “All through the evolution of the collection, there’s been totally different sorts of Kens as nicely. Within the Alpha collection, he was a little bit extra playful and lighthearted in a means. For six, we needed to deliver that fiery explosiveness again into it. As compared, Luke in Road Fighter 6 is perhaps extra cheery and a type of playful character. We needed to distinguish from that, so we needed to go along with this extra fiery kind of character. And there being the story behind Ken and there being a extra severe tone to him, we needed to precise that by means of the character designs as nicely.”
Regardless of the varied hints dropped throughout my time at Capcom, the studio stays tight-lipped on the particular narrative causes Ken is on this perilous state. “For gamers who begin up Road Fighter 6, they’ll count on that Ken is now on the run from one thing, and he’s not capable of see his son Mel for causes unknown,” Nakayama says. “He is in a tricky scenario that you’re going to study extra about sooner or later.”
The curtain can be pulled again on Ken’s backstory by means of a particular four-issue comedian collection from longtime Capcom collaborator UDON Leisure. The storyline will give us loads of perception into what is going on on with Ken whereas setting the stage for Road Fighter 6’s story. Luke may also function prominently on this collection of comics, as will Ken’s son, Mel.
“That is the primary time that we’re doing this type of comedian guide collection that is intently tied to the story of the primary sport,” Nakayama says. “We’re working very intently with our companions at UDON. We’re offering the script and the storyline of what to anticipate earlier than the occasions of Road Fighter 6. They are going to be serving to us to create the storylines. Past that, they’re even working into attainable spin-offs as nicely, and collaborating with the scriptwriters on the crew, so there could also be extra stuff past simply the preliminary comedian guide collection.”
Piecing collectively clues, it appears as if Ken is on the run in relation to a terrorist bombing. In a synopsis of the UDON comedian collection, I study that Ken has misplaced each his standing and status and is distributed on the run for against the law he did not commit. Within the above nonetheless from the intro to Ken’s Arcade story, the authorities have seemingly apprehended him for interrogation, with questions being raised about “the champ.” Ken apparently will get away from the furry scenario depicted within the first shot above and enters a transient way of life to maintain a low profile and stay off the radars of the police. That results in the extraordinary circumstances beneath which he is residing in the course of the time of Road Fighter 6.
We cannot know for certain what is going on on with Ken till this comedian prequel collection and Road Fighter 6 arrive, however for now, coloration me intrigued. As a Ken predominant, I really like seeing him put into totally different conditions, at the same time as annoying as this one seems to be. Within the walkout animation for Ken, it appears as if he’s further emotional on this title. Fujioka tells me he needs to deliver again Ken’s fiery character, and based mostly on my time with the sport, it seems they’ve achieved that mission. I am excited to see what else the story has in retailer when Road Fighter 6 launches in 2023.
