Apex Legends is set to receive a significant crossover event with Capcom's legendary fighting game franchise, Street Fighter, on September 22. This collaboration will introduce a variety of themed cosmetic items, a revamped area on the Olympus map, and a unique limited-time game mode.
Iconic Characters and Cosmetics
The event will feature eight new Legendary skins that transform Apex Legends characters into iconic Street Fighter figures. Among them are Sparrow as Ryu, Alter as Chun-Li, Bangalore as Elena, Mirage as Luke, Gibraltar as Akuma, Wattson as Cammy, Caustic as Blanka, and Pathfinder as Dhalsim. Apex Legends’ art director, Alisa Rastorgueva, noted the focus on matching personality, playstyle, and silhouette when developing these skins. Caustic's Blanka skin, for instance, incorporates electric eels into his signature canisters. Additionally, Lifeline will receive an Epic skin as Li-Fen, a character from Street Fighter 6's narrative.
Beyond character skins, players can acquire eight new weapon skins for popular firearms like the R-99, EVA-8, Flatline, Volt, Scout, Mozambique, Sentinel, and Peacekeeper. The collaboration also includes new Skydive Emotes, Holosprays, stickers featuring the Street Fighter 6 roster, badges, trackers, and frames. A standout cosmetic is the Hadouken Universal Melee, which allows players to perform the iconic fighting game move as a melee attack, complete with a matching Deathbox visual.
Street Fighter Makeover for Olympus
The Olympus map will undergo a transformation, embracing the vibrant aesthetic of Street Fighter. The area will be adorned with bright colors, graffiti, large Blanka-chan balloons, and statues of the featured Street Fighter characters. Players can interact with 'Punch Trucks' scattered throughout the locale, using melee attacks to earn Fight Gauge tokens, a nod to traditional fighting game mechanics. Pathfinder's Fight Night has also been repurposed into 'Luke's Gym,' featuring arcade cabinets, branded punching bags, and a large screen displaying a Ryu and Chun-Li matchup.
"Remixing Olympus for this takeover was all about immersing players in fighting game culture," said world director Eduardo Agostini. "We wanted Olympus to feel like a living Street Fighter stage. For the Street Fighter 6 collaboration especially, we kept thinking of how we could inject that high-energy arcade feel directly into the map."
Apex KO: A Fighting Game Takeover
The collaboration introduces a limited-time mode called Apex KO, which shifts the gameplay to an all-out brawl emphasizing melee combat. Players will utilize Street Fighter-inspired punch and kick combos to defeat opponents. A Fighter Gauge fills as players land attacks or collect tokens, enabling them to enter 'Fighter Form.' This state shifts the perspective to third-person and grants new tactical abilities, movement options, and blocking capabilities.
Before entering an Apex KO match, players can select one of four fighters: Ryu, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, or Akuma. Each fighter comes with unique abilities. Ryu has access to the Shin Shoryuken, Dash, and Hadouken. Chun-Li offers a double-jump, Kikouken, Kikosho, and enhanced melee speed. Dhalsim gains increased melee range, Teleportation, and Yoga Sunburst. Akuma can utilize Gohadouken, Shun Goku Satsu, Raging Demon, and enter Demon Mode. The final round, 'The Showdown,' brings all players back into the fight for a decisive brawl.
"Translating Street Fighter 6’s mechanics into a third-person Battle Royale experience was about finding those synergies in their shared competitive DNA," explained senior technical game designer Chris Ruvolo. "The final Showdown round distills that drive into a high-stakes brawl where clutch execution decides who survives."