Blind Street Fighter 6 player Sven has defied all odds, reaching the game’s top rank while live streaming on Twitch.
Sven’s remarkable achievement comes shortly after his viral victory at EVO 2023 in August, where he showcased his mastery of E. Honda to secure a 2-1 win in the first round.
After losing his sight at the age of six due to cancer, Sven commenced his journey into the world of fighting games after discovering that he could identify the position and moves of his opponents simply by listening to the audio cues.
Sven has been a vocal advocate for increased accessibility in video games over the years, and we’ve now started to see more developers introduce improved accessibility features, allowing for a more inclusive and considerate experience for all.
Street Fighter 6, the latest installment in the series, has introduced a ton of new accessibility features, significantly improving the gaming experience for blind players. Unique audio cues provide crucial information, signaling different attacks, dodges, and the relative position of characters.
These new sound features, paired with a variety of control schemes, help to level the playing field for all players, especially newcomers to the series.
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Street Fighter 6’s revamped ranking mode now consists of eight ranks, with the Master rank being the greatest of them all. Players must work their way up the ladder, which is now considerably harsher the further a player progresses.
However, Master won’t be the pinnacle of the game for much longer. Top-ranked Street Fighter players such as Sven will have something new to strive for as Capcom recently announced the introduction of a new rank, Legend, set to debut in November.
This new rank, part of the Master League Phase 2, is reserved for the top 500 players globally, offering the best-of-the-best an opportunity to earn additional bragging rights.
So, while Sven has now joined the party at Master rank, he’ll now be striving for “Legend” status in the game later this year. Follow Sven’s journey on Street Fighter 6 right here on Twitch.