Author: Ian "iantothemax" Walker

By now, it should be no surprise that Street Fighter V fans in Japan are getting some cool goodies if they pre-order the game from Capcom’s online store, but one in particular was recently teased as including a little something extra.

The exclusive production notes book that comes bundled with both the Valuable and Volcanic editions of the game features a joint interview with director Takayuki Nakayama and producer Koichi Sugiyama. While cool on its own, a recent Capcom tweet drew attention to a peculiar screenshot embedded alongside this conversation.

Whoops, that’s a little too small. Let’s blow it up a bit.

Better! Now, from what we can make out, the screenshot depicts a bearded Ryu facing off against a fighter who appears to be M. Bison. Unlike previous incarnations, however, the dictator is without the red outfit that has formed the basis of his design since Street Fighter II.

You should also be able to make out a HUD that’s drastically different than the one we know from Street Fighter V, and some of the regulars over at r/StreetFighter have pointed out that the stage looks similar to the one seen in F.A.N.G’s official artwork.

Due to the nature of the source material, it’s likely this particular screenshot was taken during development, and provided to show the changes made to Street Fighter V before it reached the state we’re familiar with. Still, others think we may have received our first look at another alternate costume for M. Bison or even the ability to customize the upcoming title’s HUD.

In any case, we can’t wait to see more. Feel free to provide your two cents in the comments below.

Source: e-Capcom via r/StreetFighter

We were recently clued into an interesting easter egg in the mobile fighting game Marvel Contest of Champions that sees Spider-Man steal some tech from Street Fighter’s Chun-Li.

Near the end of the video below, you’ll see Miles Morales pull off his own version of Chun’s Critical Art from Street Fighter V. In fact, the entire stage appears to be reskinned version of Street Fighter IV’s Inland Jungle.

For those of you who can’t quite see it, Lythero has provided a side-by-side comparison that shows just how similar they are.

Here's a nice comparison gif for y'all. SPIDER CHUN. pic.twitter.com/WYlJG2iUlV

— Lythero (@Lythero) January 8, 2016

While probably just a fun, one-off thing, it shows that the two companies still maintain some sort of relationship. When’s Marvel vs. Capcom 4?

Sources: Marvel, Lythero

Microsost and Iron Galaxy Studios have already provided a quick peek at Killer Instinct’s season 3 content via a beta test of guest Battletoads protagonist Rash, but it appears they are prepared to step up their efforts at two upcoming events.

According to lead combat designer Adam “Keits” Heart, preview builds of the upcoming content will be playable at the Killer Instinct World Cup and PAX South, both of which are scheduled for the weekend of January 29 in San Antonio, Texas. But don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, because there are plans to stream a few “treats” for folks stuck at home.

Apart from Rash, we know that both Kim Wu and Tusk will also be part of the playable cast in season 3, but Heart hasn’t commented on what exactly attendees will find in the demo. Stay tuned for more details.

And going back to the Killer Instinct World Cup for a bit, it was recently announced that Shadow Jago will be legal, but they will be holding off on allowing combo assist until it leaves beta. Registration is now open, and event badges will grant you immediate access to the last chance qualifier with no additional cost. Additional details will drop on January 11.

Sources: Keits via IPLAYWINNER, Ultra-Combo

Last month, NetherRealm Studios unveiled the characters that will make up Mortal Kombat X’s second Kombat Pack. This time around, returning character Bo’ Rai Cho will be joined by the cyborg mashup Tri-Borg, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Leatherface, and the titular monster of the Alien franchise.

While a short preview video accompanied this announcement, we’re set to get our first taste of gameplay sometime next week, according to a recent tweet from NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon. We’re still unsure if this means every character or just the first to be released, but new footage is new footage.

How do you think each of these characters will play? Give the teaser below another watch and hit us with your best predictions in the comments.

Mortal Kombat X’s Kombat Pack 2 characters will release periodically throughout 2016. Stay tuned for more info.

Source: Ed Boon

If you are planning to attend Kumite in Tennessee 2016 but have yet to register, you might want to get on that as soon as possible. Online registration for the event is set to close today, leaving on-site registration and all the perils that come with it as your only option if you miss out.

This year’s installment will feature tournaments for Ultra Street Fighter IV, Mortal Kombat X, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Tekken 7, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Killer Instinct, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND, and Soulcalibur V.

In addition to the normal payouts, NetherRealm Studios has provided a $10,000 pot bonus to Mortal Kombat X, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 competitors can look forward to a $500 boost of their courtesy of Memphis Bawse Battles.

Kumite in Tennessee 2016 is scheduled for January 15-17 in Memphis, Tennessee. More details can be found here.

Source: KITVandy