Skip to main content

Free ‘Street Fighter V’ Steam trial includes DLC characters, new features

street fighter v free pc trial sfvtrial
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Capcom announced that its one-on-one fighting game Street Fighter V will be free to play on Steam next week, offering PC players a glimpse of new features and balance tweaks arriving in the months ahead.

The free trial will also grant access to all previously released DLC characters, making it easier for Street Fighter fans to pick a favorite among the game’s starring cast.

Recommended Videos

Released in 2016, Street Fighter V is the latest entry in Capcom’s flagship fighting game series, delivering tournament-grade gameplay and a diverse lineup of playable characters. Capcom further upgraded Street Fighter V‘s cast with the recent launch of its second season of content, which introduces a number of additional characters as paid DLC.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Capcom notes that it will use the upcoming trial as a test bed for a variety of new features and improvements heading to the PS4 and PC versions of Street Fighter V in its next update, including more accurate matchmaking, reduced match load times, and an interactive player timeline that ties into a new friend management system.

Players can also expect to see improvements to Street Fighter V‘s “rage quit penalty system,” which will make it easier for veterans to avoid players who frequently disconnect from online matches. Other upcoming additions include Battle Lounge country flags, more detailed fighter profile stats, and filterable leaderboard rankings.

“This trial offer will be limited to Steam users and will only feature online modes, but will be completely free to play for both current and new players,” Capcom said. “All available characters, including the recently released Kolin, will be unlocked for play. Once the test is concluded, Capcom will make further adjustments to optimize the new Capcom Fighters Network and it will make its official release to both PS4 and PC players soon after.”

Street Fighter V‘s free Steam trial kicks off on March 28 at 1 p.m. PT. The game will return to full price on April 3 at 12 p.m. PT.

Danny Cowan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Steam launches new trial service featuring a free 90-minute Dead Space demo
Isaac Clarke aims at a necromorph in Dead Space.

Steam is rolling out a new feature that allows developers and publishers to offer limited-time free trials for their games. The first title to have one is EA Motive's Dead Space remake.

Motive released its remake of Dead Space in January to critical acclaim. Now, almost four months after launch, EA announced it is running a 20% off sale for Dead Space on Steam and is offering a free trial through May 29. Over the next two weeks, anyone with a Steam account can try out Dead Space for an hour and a half for free. Players do have to download the full game before starting the free trial and can then choose to purchase the full game once their 90 minutes are up.

Read more
Street Fighter 6 is the single-player fighting experience I’ve always wanted
A player stands in Metro City's Times Square equivalent in Street Fighter 6 World Tour.

As someone who doesn’t often game competitively, I’m always on the hunt for fighting games with great single-player content. Whether it’s a meaty story mode a la Soulcalibur VI or addictive arcade content like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I’m always happy when I can master a character’s move set in a low-stakes setting. That’s why I could never really get into Street Fighter 5, a game that was almost solely focused on multiplayer at launch. Later modes would rectify that, but it was largely built for the competitive scene -- and I sure as heck wasn’t skilled enough to learn the game via trial by fire.

So I’m much more excited by the prospect of Street Fighter 6. Seemingly learning from its predecessor’s missteps, developer Capcom has put a lot more into the upcoming sequel’s single-player content. In addition to its classic arcade mode, World Tour is a full-on RPG that lets players beat the snot out of random people around Metro City. Players recently got a small taste of the mode via a new demo, but the full scope of it wasn’t entirely clear.

Read more
Street Fighter 6: everything we know so far
Chun-Li and Ryu fight in Street Fighter 6.

Street Fighter is officially returning with Street Fighter 6. Ryu, Chun-Li, and new and old friends will take center stage, along with a whole new look for the classic fighting game’s graphics. It’s good timing, too, as the Street Fighter franchise just turned 35 last year, and is ready for a big comeback (Street Fighter 5 launched more than six years ago in 2016).

Interested in learning more? Wondering if Street Fighter 6 will be coming to your gaming platform of choice? Capcom’s going to be dropping more info from now up until launch. In the meantime, here’s everything we know and what you can expect.
Release date

Read more