It’s been a good year so far for fighting game fans. Mortal Kombat X is already out and has been very well received, Tekken 7 is on the horizon, and Super Smash Bros continues to evolve with surprising new combatants. Not to be left out of the fray is the granddaddy of all fighting game franchises, Street Fighter.

Development of the latest iteration, Street Fighter V is continuing to progress and is on target for a Spring 2016 release date. In the meantime, we at least have a couple of new characters committed to the expanding roster.

During Sony’s E3 2015 press conference, Asad Qizilbash from Sony Computer Entertainment introduced the two newest additions to Street Fighter V, Cammy, who most Street Fighter fans should be very familiar with, and Birdie, a character who was last seen in Street Fighter Alpha 3 back in 1999.

Qizilbash also announced a date for the Street Fighter V public beta for PlayStation 4. Players around the world will have a chance to test out Street Fighter V for themselves on July 23rd, however players are required to pre-order the game to gain access to the beta.

The gameplay elements of Street Fighter V are starting to gel together. Capcom is introducing a new mechanic called “V Trigger” that is separate from a normal meter that would be used for things like super moves. This V Trigger when activated, will grant a different set of abilities for each fighter for a limited amount of time. For instance, when playing as series mainstay Ryu, the V Trigger will give him the ability to throw an enhanced electrical fireball, or, in a throwback to Street Fighter III, he gains the ability to parry by using pressing the MP + MK buttons at the same time.

There are a number of other additions being added to Street Fighter V’s fighting system, so take a look at the game in action in the collection of video’s below.

Watch live video from CapcomUnity on Twitch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub0BDVR2zeQ

Street Fighter V is currently in development exclusively for PlayStation 4 and PC.

Be sure to stay tuned to NerdBacon for more info on Street Fighter V, along with all the big stories from E3 2015 right here.