In an interview, Yoshinori Ono Producer of "Street Fighter V" explained why classic fan-favorite characters will not be featured in the game's sequel.
"Street Fighter V" will specifically not feature both Sagat and Blanka after being part of the game for years, Famitsu magazine via Siliconera reported. Despite the fans' disappointment over their removal, Ono-san thoroughly explained that the decision was made to avoid any repetition in the game's roster of fighters.
Ono-san stated in the interview that "It's because there are many characters that perform similarly. For this launch and its next update, we wanted to have a good balance of characters. Since we didn't want to just blindly increase the number of characters, it was a bitter decision that had to be made."
He also emphasized that he understands that there are many fans who wish to have other characters aside from Sagat. The producer continued by saying that there is a big possibility that they are adding more characters probably in different forms, so he encourages fans to be constantly patient in waiting for the updates, PSU reported.
In earlier reports, the "Street Fighter" boss has revealed that Capcom is releasing sequels in the next five years. This could mean a possible return of a few classic characters to the roster as more games will be released.
"Street Fighter V" will be available to PC and PlayStation 4 in Feb. 2016. It will remain exclusive to Sony consoles bringing down the idea of having the game available in Xbox One. For Xbox owners wanting to play the game, Ono-san suggests to simply purchase a PS4 to play. The game will be featuring a total of 16 characters with four new combatants.
The "Street Fighter" franchise was first launched in 1987 and has become one of the most popular game ever since. In summer, "Street Fighter" debuted in PS4 with the "Ultra Street Fighter IV."
