Ken is a terrorist suspect in Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter 6 screenshot
(Image credit: Capcom)

Some new Street Fighter 6 art and story details reveal that legacy fighter Ken Masters is a terrorist suspect in the upcoming sequel.

Ken's redesign, which gave the character what many describe as "divorced dad" energy, has been the subject of debate online, sparking questions about the beloved Street Fighter character's backstory in the lead-up to the upcoming sequel. Did he indeed go through a messy divorce and get thrown out of his house? Is he just going through a 'dark and forelorn' phase like I did when I was 16? The truth is a lot more exciting, thankfully.

Courtesy of a new Game Informer preview, we now know poor ol' Ken was arrested under suspicion of being a terrorist. The full story will be revealed in an upcoming comic series, but according to the comic's synopsis, a downtrodden Ken is on the run for a crime he didn't commit. According to Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama, this was done to give Ken a purpose.

(Image credit: Capcom (via Game Informer))

"Throughout the series, it seems like his life has become more and more stable, and the team felt like he was losing a reason to fight," Nakayama said. "But this is a way to create that reason for him to step up. We want to create that kind of plotline that explains why Ken is important and gives him that purpose. The story will be tied to those other characters close to him."

Ken has always been my favorite Street Fighter character, so I'm anxious to see how he gets his way out of this one. I'm guessing it'll involve thunder kicks and chin busters.

Street Fighter 6 releases in 2023, but in the meantime here are the best fighting games you can play today.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.