Capcom confirms Blanka for Street Fighter 5 (without actually confirming him)

Look, there’s no way Blanka wasn’t going to be in Street Fighter 5. Series producer Yoshinori Ono bloody loves the bulky Brazilian beastman. He carries a tiny plastic Blanka around with him everywhere he goes, the little green galoot acting as his proxy in selfies at every international event he attends. Blanka was definitely going to be in Street Fighter 5. He just was.

But now we have confirmation that ol’ zappy is indeed going to join the already announced Ryu, Chun-Li, Bison, Charlie, Birdy and Cammy. Well I say ‘confirmation’. In traditional Ono style, it’s more a case of ‘larking around in a Blanka costume, surrounded by Blanka merchandise, showing of a new Brazilian fighting stage, teasing a character reveal for October’s Brazil Game Show, and then not saying who it is’ Because that’s exactly what he does in the video below, which recently appeared on the official Street Fighter YouTube account.

Hmmm, Ono. Hmmmmm indeed.

That’s an official roster of seven then, for now. So who’s next? Street Fighter 3’s Alex is currently flying high on the winds of rumour – though isn’t he always? - after a (quite possibly fake) ‘leaked’ image seemed to show him rendered in Street Fighter 5’s art style just before E3. With Street Fighter 5 seeming to be set after current chronological end-point SF3 (judging by M. Bison’s grey hair and slower movement, at least), anyone from any point in the series is possible. Looks like October will be our next official reveal anyway, though there’s a chance we’ll get a surprise when the Street Fighter 5 beta launches later this month. Me? I’m starting the petition for Oro right the hell now.