PC gamers to get a free sneak peek of what’s new in Street Fighter V

Street Fighter V is about to get a helping of new features, and PC players of the Capcom fighter are gonna get to try ’em out for free.

The Capcom Fighters Network

Publisher Capcom has announced today that their Capcom Fighters Network for Street Fighter V will be getting a nice little update. This new infusion comes in the form of a ‘Season 2’, extending the life of SFV a bit further. That should come as no shock to players of the title, since Capcom has announced that it’ll be rolling on for some time yet. So, you know, don’t expect to see a SFVI any time soon.

As for the contents of Season 2, it’s gonna be loaded. Expect the download to include improvements to online matchmaking, load times, and friend management. That’s not all though, as an Interactive Timeline is being introduced, as well as rage quit penalties. That’s an interesting addition, and one that gamers are going to either love or hate, depending.

Like I mentioned above too, there’s going to be a sneak peek. Now, this will be coming around for PC gamers only, so sorry PS4 World Warriors. It’s gonna be pretty cool though and basically amounts to a free ‘online mode’ trial of the game.

Players will be able to dip their toes into the SFV waters and play with all characters, including Kolin, the latest addition. Also neat is that this affects even those who own the game on PC. So if you have the base game already, or a few of the add-ons, then you’ll also want to try this ‘demo’ out since you’ll be able to play around with all the stuff that you haven’t picked up.

Once things come to an end, Capcom says that they’ll be using the data to improve the CFN system, and get it ready for an eventual release on the PC and the PS4. Watch for the test to kick off on March 28th at 1pm pacific time and  come to a close on April 3rd at 12pm (also pacific).

Here are the specifics on the expected improvements:

• Matchmaking Improvements
  For most players, it will take less time to find an opponent in online matches. Matchmaking logic will help players avoid being frequently matched with the same opponent.
• Ranked and Casual Match Loading Times
  There will be a shorter transition when going into a Ranked or Casual match.
• Interactive Timeline
  On the new CFN home menu, a live feed of Friends’ activities will be presented on an interactive Timeline. Using the Timeline, players can immediately add a recent match to their Replay List, view a Fighter Profile, manage Friends, and adjust Timeline display settings.
• Friend Management System
  In addition to adding someone to Favorites, players can now blacklist players or add friends and follow them on CFN.
• “Rage Quit” Penalty System
  Special “rage quit” player profile icons will appear on profiles with frequent disconnections. Matchmaking logic will take into account online behavior and frequent disconnectors will be matched with similar opponents.
• Training Mode – User Settings Saved
  Training Mode settings will be saved and will carry over to the next time the mode is accessed.
• Battle Lounge Country Flags
  Country flags will appear in Battle Lounges, allowing players to locate competition in their region.
• Country / League Based Rankings
  Players will be able to filter leaderboards based on Country or League.
• In-Game Announcer Voice
  The in-game announcer will provide players and opponents with stats using data pulled from the server.
• Fighter Profile Stats
  More detailed stats will be tracked and presented on Fighter Profiles.