Zangief was first confirmed to be a playable character in Street Fighter 6 on September 16, 2022, when the game's full launch roster was revealed. His full-fledged gameplay trailer was released alongside Cammy and newcomer Lily on February 23, 2023.
The Red Cyclone made his debut on February 6, 1991 as one of the original eight characters in Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior. He has gone on to be in a slew of other fighting games, including not only numbered Street Fighter entries such as Street Fighter 4 and Street Fighter 5, but also crossover titles like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Street Fighter X Tekken.
Street Fighter 6's version of Zangief sees a new and improved design over the traditional Gief we're used to seeing. His overall appearance is larger and more stocky than usual, and he now wears a set of red and silver wrestling pants instead of his small red tights.
In Street Fighter 6, Zangief advocates his own theory that muscles are supreme. He strives for physical evolution and guidance to the next generation.
Much as you'd expect and hope, Zangief is a traditional grappler here in the latest numbered Street Fighter entry. His gameplan remains the same: get in close and land devastating command throws, but now he has some new tools to help him achieve this goal.
His Spinning Pile Driver command throw is stronger than ever in Street Fighter 6, with the damage for the Overdrive version when it lands as a Punish Counter being comparable to a level 3 super. He also comes equipped with his Siberian Express (running command throw), Double Lariat with a new Overdrive version, and his Tundra Storm counter from Street Fighter 5.
While Zangief is a powerhouse on land, he also has tools to help him control the skies. His new Aerial Russian Slam level 1 super is an anti-air grab super that sees him leap up and snatch opponents right out of the air, while Borscht Dynamite is the aerial version of his Spinning Pile Driver command throw that catches the opposition if they're also midair.
Character Breakdown
Type: Power
Effective Range: Close-Range
Ease of Use: Hard
Likes, Dislikes, Attributes
Hates: Projectiles (Hadokens, etc.)
Likes: Wrestling, Cossack dancing
Height: 7'0
Weight: 399 lbs
Voice Actors
English: Peter Beckman
Japanese: Kenta Miyake
Rigth zanguief it so much better than ganfief's old games, now he looks more intimidate than he used look before i put him into the top tier list