Capcom’s Rival Schools Surprise in Street Fighter 6 Hints at Revival

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In recent times, Street Fighter 6 has been quite busy with crossovers, but its latest partnership might just take the cake for being the most unexpected one. On April 1st, Capcom unveiled a fighting pass for the game themed around the iconic Rival Schools series. Believe it or not, this wasn’t an April Fool’s prank! Players who log into Street Fighter 6 right now can secure some exclusive rewards inspired by Capcom’s other fighting game franchise. These rewards primarily include cosmetic items such as new avatar outfits, fresh tunes, a few stickers, and several player titles, among other goodies.

The revelation of the collaboration between Street Fighter 6 and Rival Schools took numerous gamers by surprise, given that the latter series has been largely inactive for an extended period. The last installment in the series, Project Justice, was launched on Sega Dreamcast back in 2000, and since then, there have been no significant developments. Despite the upcoming re-release of Project Justice on contemporary platforms within Capcom Fighting Collection 2, the revival of this seemingly forgotten franchise has caught many off guard. It’s possible that this move indicates Capcom’s intention to resurrect the Rival Schools franchise in the future, possibly even with a new mainline game.

Street Fighter 6’s Latest Crossover Shows that Capcom Hasn’t Forgotten About the Rival Schools Series

Rival Schools Never Really Caught On Due to a Few Factors

The “Rival Schools” series isn’t commonly known, and it’s easy to understand why. So far, there have only been three games in the series, one of which is exclusive to Japan. Furthermore, the “Rival Schools” games haven’t been made available on many platforms; each game has either been a Sega or Sony exclusive.

In a technical sense, Rival Schools shares the same universe as Street Fighter, but unlike Capcom’s main fighting game franchise, it focuses on characters who are high school students and teachers instead of traditional fighters. As per the series’ backstory, these characters engage in battles to solve the enigmas surrounding the kidnappings and attacks happening on their respective campuses.

Among the games in the Rival Schools series, Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2, which is exclusive to Japan, is actually a sequel to the 1997 game Rival Schools: United by Fate. However, it isn’t generally classified as a main installment within the series.

Capcom is Interested in Bringing Back Its Dormant IPs

Given the specialized nature of the series, it might initially seem unlikely that a Rival Schools comeback would transpire. Yet, considering Capcom’s recent shift in approach towards dormant franchises, the idea no longer appears as far-fetched as it once was. Last year, during an investor briefing, Capcom disclosed their intention to reactivate intellectual properties that haven’t seen a new release for some time. This new approach, they explained, aims to enable them to “consistently develop high-quality titles with maximum efficiency.

Despite only a short time passing since the announcement, fans have already begun reaping the benefits of Capcom’s IP resurrection endeavors. In the past year alone, the publisher unveiled a fresh mainline installment for the Onimusha series and announced a follow-up to the beloved action-adventure game, Okami. Additionally, both the Dead Rising and Dragon’s Dogma series returned in 2024, with the release of the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and Dragon’s Dogma 2, respectively. Given these developments, there may be a possibility that Capcom will produce a new Rival Schools game in the future.

Despite Hideaki Itsuno’s Departure from Capcom, a Rival Schools Revival is Still Possible

The primary hurdle that might impede the return of Rival Schools is the departure of its lead producer, Hideaki Itsuno, from Capcom. Previously at the company, Itsuno had expressed a strong passion for creating a Rival Schools 3, considering it one of his personal goals. Given that Itsuno is no longer with Capcom, the likelihood of a new game in the series has somewhat diminished. However, it’s important to note that Capcom isn’t necessarily barred from producing another installment without him. As demonstrated by their recent collaboration on Street Fighter 6, Capcom hasn’t completely abandoned the franchise, leaving room for potential future developments.

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2025-04-22 17:39