Major nerf to Akuma spotted in Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition Garuda crossover costume trailer
Early glimpse at a new build of the game
Capcom announced a new Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition crossover costume this morning that will change Akuma into Garuda from Fighting EX Layer. While this news in and of itself is already exciting, keen-eyed fans on Twitter also spotted what looks to be a nerf to Akuma — and one that players have wanted for a very long time.
During the Garuda costume trailer, Akuma can be seen performing several attacks and combos to help show off the new digs. One bread and butter combo in the video, though, shows signs that an important change has been made to the Shoto's light kick Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Hurricane Kick).
As Twitter user NurseLee_ pointed out to us, the standard bread and butter combo Akuma uses involving V-Skill 1 and LK Tatsu behaves differently in the clip than it does in the current version of the game. This combo typically allows Akuma to pop the opponent into the air using V-Skill, whiff a LK Tatsu — which causes him to switch sides with the opponent — then follow up with either Dragon Punch or a HK Tatsu.
The trailer shows this same combo, but when Akuma performs the LK Hurricane Kick he stays on the same side, then hits the uppercut.
What makes this significant and a major nerf to the Shoto is the fact that once this change is in effect, he will no longer be able to completely turn around a situation where he is cornered and still get optimal damage from it. One of the most popular complaints about Akuma is his ability to reposition himself when cornered and get the most damage out of the situation as he can.
This basic combo doesn't have to end with a simple Dragon Punch either. If Akuma is stocked with full meter, he can cancel that uppercut into his Critical Art for even more damage in addition to the corner escape and follow up okizeme set up.
What this change means is now when Akuma finds himself cornered and he gets an opening, he will have to decide between optimal damage (while remaining cornered) or whiffing a MK Tatsu in LK's stead to sacrifice the follow up damage in exchange for positioning.
Yo Akuma got nerf! check it out! pic.twitter.com/p0lSk5m77Y
— NurseLee_ (@NurseLee_) January 11, 2021
Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition will be undergoing an update tomorrow which is set to add the new Garuda costume into the mix. At this time, it is unclear whether or not this change will be added to the game alongside tomorrow's patch, or if this is actually a glimpse at the large balance update that is expected with Dan's arrival.
The first official Season 5 character is slated for a release sometime in February, so if Akuma's LK Tatsu change is not added to the game tomorrow, there's a good chance we'll see it when Dan is launched.
We will be testing the Akuma change when the Garuda costume update is fully live and will have an update on the matter then, so stay tuned.
