Of the many good things about Street Fighter VI, the most impressive is the sense of community and scale surrounding the game’s online component. MMO-style battle-centric environments are great at fostering arcade-like communities over the internet, but did you know that adventures can also continue to some extent on your browser?
Sadly there are very few ads, but what still awaits SF6 players is Buckler’s Boot Camp, a section of the game’s official website that basically gives you a window into Battle Hub and CFN (Capcom Fighters Network) from outside the game . The site is actually pretty good.
Fundamentally, the site would be fully functional if it were just a news source, advertising battle passes, DLC characters, server maintenance, and other news about the game. But Buckler Camp is actually much more than that, and it shows just how seriously Capcom is taking all aspects of Street Fighter VI.
So yes, you can check your CFN activity feed and playback data. You can check your ranks (Platinum 5 rank Cammy here, reporting), plus see which players in your region and skill level are hot online right now. Data for any clubs you’ve joined, as well as your friends list are also available. You can also take on CFN paperwork here – adding friends, joining clubs, and more. Everything you do on the site is reflected in the game, which is very useful.
That’s all well and good…and there’s so much more to Buckler Boot Came than that. Some of them are handy. Like a “membership card”, you can export it showing your rank, key information and various other information about you (for posting on social media). Fans of lore can immerse themselves in Udon Comics’ Street Fighter VI prelude comic, available digitally for free. And then there’s the cute and weird stuff.
For example, there’s Pockest – a street fighting Tamagotchi with nothing but a name that can be played directly on the website. Here you raise a little battle monster that evolves, eats, shits, and needs you to take care of it like it was hanging from your backpack in 1998. This will encourage you to check back to the site regularly, which is a neat little game. That in itself can be a distraction.
Occasionally you may be greeted with a small surprise when you return to the site. For example, if you’ve been playing with a particular character in SF6, they might send you a message through the app–a text message from Cammy, Ken, or someone else. These offer some minor lore drops, but only to anchor you into SF6’s never-ending journey of power under the guidance of a master warrior.
Obviously, all of this is completely redundant. You don’t need to be involved. Your enjoyment of Street Fighter VI, or access to its content, has nothing to do with your willingness to text Chun-Li or clean up the piss of weird digital pets. But if you want it…it’s all there.
It’s a sign Capcom continues to go above and beyond – not only building a great game, but a great platform. A great community space to hang out. Belongs to a great thing. These are the things that set Street Fighter VI apart, and why it’s unquestionably one of the best games of the year.
So if you’re playing SF6, check out the easy-to-miss Buckler’s Boot Camp site. If you don’t play SF6… Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?
