Street Fighter 6 sees a new fighter take to the ring, this time in the form of Alex (Mark Whitten, Battlefield 6). This former hero turned heel looks to prove his power and skill as the greatest wrestler there is. But when his fights in the ring start to lose his interest, he strikes out in search of more exceptional opponents. Luckily for him, there is an entire world of warriors out there, waiting to test his mettle.
At the core of Alex’s kit is a punishing set of attacks that will give even the biggest fighters pause. He typically wants to remain close to his foes so he can execute his powerful strikes and grapples, while avoiding a long game he has no offensive options for.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
If opponents can put some distance between them and him, Alex has some solid means to close the distance. His aerial maneuver, Flying Cross Hop, can greatly help close the distance while avoiding pesky fireballs. And even when he does need to cross the screen, the distance he’ll need to travel will be a bit shorter than that of many other fighters.
Drive Gauge does major damage with Alex in Street Fighter 6.
Despite having no far-reaching attacks, Alex’s mid-game is excellent. His kicks, particularly standing medium, have great reach, and a couple of his special attacks propel him forward, allowing him to get inside on his target, where he does his best work.
Something that makes the new fighter stand out among Street Fighter 6’s roster is how much Drive Gauge damage he does. Many of his attacks apply a notable amount of drain on the precious resource. This can force challengers to be even more cautious in how they spend it.
Another characteristic that helps Alex stand out is his Prowler Stance, which gives him a new set of attacks to play with. These new attacks can come from some very different angles, like his quick jump attack, Air Stampede, that can send the wrestler crashing down on his foe, no turnbuckle required. It is important to note that Alex can’t block in this stance, so entering it should generally be done only when an immediate follow-up attack is planned.
The new fighter comes with a powerfully aggressive tool kit.
Alex’s first two specials, Flash Axe and Flash Chop, function similarly, but with a key difference. While both deliver powerful, standing strikes to their opponent, Flash Chop spins the hit target around, opening them up for a transition attack for one of his other specials, Power Bomb. This is a special grab that can only be done from behind.
This chain of attacks can be further transitioned into Alex’s super combo, Omega Wing Buster. This pours on the damage, making it a crushing way to finish a fight or claw your way back from a losing situation, so long as you have the resources and the precision to execute it all.
The other special is Aerial Knee Smash. An anti-air maneuver that is immune to air attacks, this combo is the premier way to counter opponents looking to leap in on him. The heavy version can also strike grounded foes, while the light and medium options cannot. A strong secondary counter to air attacks is also his down-heavy punch. Not as sure of a thing as the knee smash, but it can work, especially once you’ve learned which descending attacks it will counter and which it will lose to.
Alex could prove tricky with modern controls.
A great way to punish overaggressive enemies is Alex’s super art, Raging Spear. A powerful lounge attack, this move is invincible on startup, allowing you to plow through an incoming attack as he begins his counteroffensive. A useful tool when he finds himself on the back foot.
His other notable super art is Sledgecross Hammer. This attack hits hard, but is most noteworthy when he strikes an airborne foe with it. When this occurs, the move produces a wall splat, creating potential punishment opportunities if you are close enough to the wall to follow up.
For Street Fighter 6 fans playing with modern controls, Alex could prove tricky. Many of his moves have fairly notable differences between them, depending on strike intensity, meaning that a significant amount of his toolbox will be lost in the streamlined control scheme. However, all of his moves, with one exception, are standard quarter and half circle motions, so he may not be a bad choice to give classic controls a try if the wrestler speaks to you.
Gorgeous still frames provide lovely moments throughout Alex’s arcade mode.
Every so often, the arcade mode delivers some noteworthy story moments for the player character. While there aren’t any big lore beats contained within Alex’s journey, a lovely role reversal plays out in the character’s ending sequence.
Once he defeats his final foe, we follow the fighter’s return home to find Priscilla waiting for him. Seeing the tough-as-nails wrestler soften instantly as he interacts with his pregnant partner is a lovely moment of pure warmth. Through gorgeous still frames, we see Alex take his unborn daughter’s first kick to his cheek when he listens to Priscilla’s stomach at her insistence.
Alex brings a powerfully aggressive kit to Street Fighter 6. His moves feel great and provide a low bar of mechanical dexterity to implement, but a high degree of familiarity to master. Making him an all-around strong-looking entry for the game’s ever-exanding roster.
Alex is available standalone or as part of the Season 3 Pass for Street Fighter 6, which is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
