Throughout its time, the fighting game genre has undergone many evolutions. Obvious improvements that many are satisfied with involve how graphics and gameplay are handled, as both have made modern entries more accessible, while still ensuring that the competitive nature that makes gameplay fun and exciting isn't lost.
As someone who has dabbled in different fighting games, I find these changes beneficial. However, there is one aspect of the genre whose handling in modern entries has been altered in a way that I, and likely others, are not so keen on: the character roster.
In today's fighting games, from the moment you purchase them, you expect not to get the complete list of fighters from the start. Certain ones won't be playable unless you wait for and buy them via timely DLC. Popular names such as Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are doing this, and while they provide a ton of value from a business standpoint, I believe it hurts the overall player experience.
One good reason for this view is that it essentially tells players that they're not getting everything that they're paying for. In the early generations of fighting games, the best thing they did was provide all the resources that made for great combat, including a complete character roster.
But now that they're following the practice of locking content behind DLC, it will definitely make certain people feel left out. Yes, you can purchase these characters with money, but some would argue that this shouldn't be the case, given that they've already paid for the game and wouldn't want to spend even more for something that should have been available from the get-go.
Also, not everyone would have the money to obtain the newly available characters, leading to them feeling left out when they compare themselves to others who could afford to splurge a bit more. This then brings me to the next reason DLC characters hurt the fighting game experience: an unfair advantage.
So, let's say someone has decided to get into Tekken and only plays with the base roster, foregoing future characters like Bob, Kunimitsu, and Roger Jr. altogether. This person can certainly enjoy what's available, perhaps even learn and master the ins and outs of the game that make for a promising fighter. Great as that may sound, if that same person chooses to pursue becoming a standout player, there will likely be a wall that halts that progress.
That obstacle would be the other people who've chosen to purchase the characters not part of the base game. It's possible that certain DLC fighters could have a set of moves that far surpass anything the initial roster can do. This then leads to numerous players purchasing and using them during matches, and those who don't will be at a complete disadvantage as they won't have what's necessary to even the playing field.
This creates a problem that ruins the competitive integrity of fighting games, as putting characters behind DLC feels like telling players that they'll have a much harder time reaching peak prowess unless they pay extra. While certain games let you learn about characters you don't have, such as Street Fighter 6's Rental Tickets to access them for an hour, or 2XKO making them playable in its training mode, it only alleviates a small portion of the problem. Those who didn't pay still won't have full access to potentially game-breaking fighters and the strategies they bring, which feels like a slap on the face, since it's basically saying you'll likely find victories more elusive just because you didn't shell out a little bit extra.
Now, for the final reason why DLC characters ruin the experience of playing a fighting game, it's that they take away the joy of working towards something. Back then, certain characters didn't need to be paid for to be unlocked, and were instead placed behind certain conditions that must be fulfilled to be playable.
Such conditions usually involved having to do things like beating a specific character at a particular stage, taking down several enemies within a time limit, playing a mode meant for recreation for hours, etc. While fighting games are usually synonymous with multiplayer, this actually provided a great single-player experience, as it gave many something to look forward to, even if they didn't have another human opponent go up against.
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By putting characters behind DLC and taking that away, it actually robs people of that enjoyment. It also results in a more boring experience, as all they have to do now is just buy what they're missing, rather than putting in the time and having fun to get what they want. This can lead to spending less time on the game than they would have since they already got what they wanted, which can also result in them leaving for something else more entertaining.
While I could hope that future fighting games return to the days when they gave everything, including every character, from the start, I understand if it doesn't happen in the modern era of gaming. But who knows? There may come one who will do that, and perhaps put back the love towards the genre that was lost.
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