Capcom community manager Combofiend has come up on the official Capcom blog to confirm release dates and prices for Ultra Street Fighter 4.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is the latest update to Street Fighter 4, launched in arcades in 2008 and the latest incarnation in the venerable series. This latest update adds Rolento, Elena, Hugo, and Poison, all of whom have been brought over from Street Fighter x Tekken, as well as a still unrevealed character who has not been seen before in the Street Fighter series.
This update will also bring with it two new game mechanics, Double Ultra and Red Focus. Double Ultra will let you use both your Ultra Combos in a match, with reduced damage for both. Red Focus is also a nerfed version of a Focus Attack, that will allow you to absorb damage from multiple attacks. There will also be a new delayed wakeup mechanic, allowing you to stay on the ground longer than you usually would once you get knocked down. Of course, it will also bring the usual character rebalances, including removing all unblockables.
Combofiend explains Capcom considered getting the game out early enough for fans to have time to play it and prepare in time for EVO. Therefore, they are releasing it early June as a digital upgrade on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $ 14.99.
Come August, Ultra will then release on PC as a digital upgrade for $ 14.99, as well as retail Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions for $ 39.99. To compensate for the delay to PC players, Capcom will offer a special deal where they can get Ultra as well as all the DLC costumes to date as a single $ 29.99 purchase.
As a reminder, EVO is coming July 11 to 13, 2014. Players will have barely enough time to practice with Ultra, so we may see a very raw, unpredictable SF4 tournament for that year. This decision may not go over well with non-FGC players, but it’s pretty clear who Capcom is marketing this game to at this point.