It feels like forever since Capcom’s made a new character reveal for Street Fighter V, doesn’t it? Since being announced last year and beginning with the return of Ryu’s nemesis Akuma, the beat ’em up’s second season of DLC characters has been moving along at a rather sluggish pace, with just one new combatant, Kolin, having joined its ranks this year back in February. But hey, better late than never and, thankfully, the third member of Season 2’s cast looks like a hoot to play as.
Abducted at a young age by Shadaloo subdivision S.I.N., Ed was subsequently experimented on by the organization in order to become a replacement body for M. Bison, although it appears as if the poor guy has so far managed to evade his gruesome destiny. As per the announcement on Capcom’s Unity blog, Ed ages at a faster rate than normal humans due to the side effects from experimentation, but it’s not all bad news.
As he carries Bison’s genes, Ed’s able to tap into the former’s Psycho Power which, when combined with a fighting style inspired by mentor Balrog, makes him a devastatingly powerful foe to come up against. See below for a summary of Ed’s abilities, courtesy of Capcom.
V-Skill: Psycho Snatcher
Ed releases Psycho Power from his palm, pulling himself or opponents depending on how long he charges it up.
V-Trigger: Psycho Cannon
With a full V-meter, Ed releases an enormous amount of Psycho Power. He can follow alongside it, allowing him to pepper in shots when it connects with the opponent.
Critical Art: Psycho Barrage
Ed lunges forward with a series of punches. If at any point he connects, he’ll continue weaving around the opponent, slipping in quick combinations of Psycho-punches ending with a powerful uppercut.
Interestingly, unlike the entirety of Street Fighter V‘s existing cast, performing Ed’s special moves won’t require a series of motion inputs but rather, simple button presses. His critical art – Psycho Barrage – however, still requires traditional inputs.
Capcom has yet to set a date for Ed’s debut in Street Fighter V, but for those itching to play as the new combatant ahead of time, he’ll be playable in Capcom’s upcoming CFN beta for both the PS4 and PC, due to kick off later this week, May 11. For an idea of what that entails, see here.