If you've spent hours grinding ranked matches or hanging out in the Battle Hub, you've probably run into players rocking flashy, unique costumes for Ryu, Chun-Li, or Jamie that you've never seen before. You might have wondered if you have to drop extra cash to get those looks, or if you can unlock them for free with a little effort. We put together this guide covering every way how to get costumes in Street Fighter 6, so you can stop staring at other players' fits and start showing off your own.
How to Get Costumes in Street Fighter 6 For Free Without Real Money
If you're wondering how to get costumes in Street Fighter 6 without spending a dime, World Tour mode is your first stop. This single-player story mode lets you explore Metro City and other iconic Street Fighter locations, while training under your favorite fighters as "masters". Maxing out your bond level with a master to 100 unlocks their default alternate costume for free, no additional purchases required.
You can raise bond levels with masters by giving them their favorite gifts, completing side missions for them, or using their fighting style in battles against NPCs. Gifts are extremely cheap to buy with fight money, the in-game currency you earn just by playing any game mode, so you don't have to grind for hours to afford them. For example, Ryu loves vintage matchbooks, Chun-Li prefers high-protein salads, and Jamie goes crazy for boba tea, all of which cost less than 1000 fight money at the Metro City general store.
That means you can unlock every base-game alternate costume for free if you put a few hours into World Tour mode. The only catch is that you can only unlock the second default costume for each character this way; special crossover or limited-edition skins don't have free World Tour unlock paths. Don't waste gifts on random NPCs if you're grinding for costumes, save them for the masters you want skins for first to cut down your grind time.
Paid Costume Options: Fast Unlocks for Time-Strapped Players
This is the fastest way how to get costumes in Street Fighter 6 if you don't have hours to spend grinding single player content. All costumes are available for direct purchase from the in-game shop, using the in-game Fighter Coin currency. You can buy Fighter Coins with real money, or earn a very small amount of them for free through daily and weekly challenges.
Individual costumes usually cost 50 Fighter Coins each, which works out to around $5 per skin. You can also buy bundle packs that include multiple costumes for a single character, or a set of costumes for a group of fighters, which saves you about 20% compared to buying them separately. Limited-time crossover costumes like the ones from other Capcom franchises or brand collabs are only available for purchase for a few weeks at a time, so if you see one you love, grab it before it leaves the shop.
The biggest downside of paid unlocks is obviously the cost, especially if you want to collect multiple skins. You also can't earn enough free Fighter Coins through regular play to unlock more than one costume every 2-3 months, so you will have to spend real cash if you want to use this method regularly. It's a good option for skins you really want that don't have a free unlock path, but you don't need to spend money to get great customization options for your main fighters.
Unlock Event-Exclusive Costumes Through Limited-Time Challenges
Capcom runs regular in-game events throughout the year, including seasonal events for holidays, game anniversaries, and collabs, that offer exclusive costumes you can't get through World Tour or regular shop purchases. Most of these costumes are 100% free to unlock if you complete the required challenges before the event ends. The challenges are usually simple, and don't require you to be a high-ranked player to complete them.
Common event challenge requirements you can expect include:
A small number of premium event skins are only available as paid add-ons, but 70% of event costumes are free for all players who complete the challenges. Event costumes almost never return to the game after the event ends, so mark your calendar if you see an upcoming event with a skin you want. I missed the first anniversary Ryu costume last year because I forgot to log in for the challenges, and I've been kicking myself ever since, so don't make the same mistake.
Pro Tips to Make Costume Unlocking Faster and Cheaper
No matter which unlock method you prefer, there are a few simple hacks to cut down on your grind time and save money. First, if you're grinding World Tour mode for free costumes, equip the Bond Boost skill from your skill tree as early as possible. This skill increases the amount of bond you get from every gift and interaction by 30%, cutting your total grind time for each costume almost by a third.
If you plan to buy costumes from the shop, wait for seasonal sales that happen every 2-3 months, where all regular shop costumes are discounted by up to 50% off. Don't buy individual costumes if you want multiple skins for the same character, either; character costume bundles are always a better deal, and often include extra color palettes or emote bonuses you don't get with individual purchases.
Also, don't sleep on the free Battle Pass track every season. You don't have to buy the premium Battle Pass to unlock the free rewards, which often include full costume skins, costume accessories, or alternate color palettes just for playing the game regularly. You can level up the free Battle Pass just by playing casual matches with your friends, so you don't have to grind ranked to get those rewards. Even if you only play a couple of hours a week, you can unlock all the free Battle Pass rewards before the season ends.
At the end of the day, whether you prefer grinding through World Tour for free skins, dropping a little cash for instant access, or grinding event challenges for exclusive looks, there's a method that fits every playstyle and budget when you're figuring out how to get costumes in Street Fighter 6. You don't have to spend a ton of money to make your favorite fighters look unique, and even a little bit of playtime every week can unlock a ton of cool customization options. Don't be afraid to mix and match different unlock methods to get the exact looks you want, and have fun showing off your personal style in the Battle Hub or ranked lobbies.