You just pulled off your first perfect KO with Ryu, climbed a couple of ranks in casual play, and now you're seeing everyone online pull off wild combos with a fighter you don't recognize. If you're wondering how to get new characters in Street Fighter 6, you're not alone. Capcom has rolled out a steady stream of roster additions since launch, with a mix of free and paid options to fit every playstyle and budget. I've logged over 200 hours across SF6's game modes, tested every unlock method, and figured out which paths are worth your time, and which you can skip if you'd rather jump straight to playing your new main.
Unlock Free Base Game and Post-Launch Characters Without Spending Money
If you're looking for how to get new characters in Street Fighter 6 without spending cash, these free methods are your best bet. The base game launches with 18 playable fighters, and you can unlock every single one of them without spending extra money, even if you only own the standard edition of the game. You don't have to spend real money to unlock every character released for SF6's base roster, and Capcom also drops occasional free permanent character unlocks for limited-time events throughout the year.
The most reliable free unlock method is through World Tour mode, the game's open-world story campaign. You'll meet almost every base roster character as you explore Metro City, Nayshall, and other in-game locations, and you can raise your bond level with each NPC to unlock them permanently for all game modes. You can raise bond levels by completing character side quests, fighting alongside them in open-world battles, or giving them their favorite gifts.
You can also earn Drive Tickets, a free in-game currency, by completing daily and weekly challenges across all game modes. These tickets can be redeemed for select post-launch characters, exclusive costumes, and other in-game content without spending premium currency or real money. Here are all the free unlock methods you can use right now:
World Tour mode is the fastest free way to unlock base roster characters. If you focus on one character's side quests and give them their favorite gifts, you can hit max bond level in 2 to 3 hours of play, no extra grinding required. Rotate play modes to maximize your Drive Ticket earnings too, you get bonus tickets for switching between World Tour, Fighting Ground, and Battle Hub each day, so you don't have to grind the same mode for hours on end.
Access Paid DLC Characters Through Character Passes and Individual Purchases
Capcom releases 4 to 6 new DLC characters every year as part of annual character pass cycles, and these fighters are only available for free if you earn enough Drive Tickets to redeem them, or if you pay for access directly. Most players opt to pay for DLC characters if they want to play them on launch day, since it can take 4 to 6 weeks of consistent play to earn enough Drive Tickets for a single free DLC unlock.
You have two paid options to unlock new DLC characters: individual purchases, or annual character passes. Individual character unlocks cost around $5.99 each, and give you permanent access to the fighter, plus their default costume and 10 base color options. Character passes cost around $29.99 per year, and give you access to all 4 to 6 DLC characters released that year, plus exclusive costumes, colors, and lobby items you can't get with individual purchases.
Character passes offer the best value if you plan to pick up at least 3 DLC characters in a given year. You'll save around 30% compared to buying each character individually, and you get access to each fighter the second they go live, no waiting or grinding required. If you're buying SF6 for the first time, you can also find special edition bundles that include the first or second character pass for just $10 to $15 extra, which is a far better deal than buying the pass separately later.
Just make sure you're buying the right version of the pass for your platform. Passes are not cross-compatible between PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, so you'll have to buy a separate pass if you play the game on multiple systems. Some retailers also sell physical code cards for character passes, which are often discounted during holiday sales, so it's worth waiting for those if you don't need new characters right away.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Get New Characters in Street Fighter 6
It's easy to waste time or money on unlocks if you don't know what to look out for, and I've made almost every one of these mistakes myself in my first few months of playing the game. The first big mistake is spending your hard-earned Drive Tickets on cosmetic items before you unlock all the characters you want to play. Costumes, lobby emotes, and profile stickers are fun, but they don't add any actual gameplay value, so you're better off saving your tickets for character unlocks first.
Another common mistake is grinding World Tour bond levels for DLC characters you already paid for. If you buy a character through a pass or individual purchase, they are automatically unlocked for all game modes, so you don't need to waste time raising their bond level in World Tour to play them. You can still complete their side quests for extra rewards, but it's not required for access.
Never spend real money on temporary character access bundles. Capcom occasionally sells 7-day access passes for new DLC characters for around $1.99, but this is a terrible value compared to a $5.99 permanent unlock. You're better off saving that money and waiting until you can afford the permanent version, or grinding Drive Tickets to unlock it for free. Double check that you're buying a permanent character unlock, not a cosmetic bundle too, the in-game store often lists character costume packs right next to character unlocks, so it's easy to click the wrong one if you're in a hurry.
Also don't buy individual DLC characters right before a new character pass is announced. Capcom usually teases their annual character pass 1 to 2 months before it launches, and they reveal all 4 to 6 fighters included in the pass ahead of time. If you plan to buy 3 or more of the revealed characters, you'll save a lot of money by waiting for the pass to go on sale instead of buying each fighter individually.
Tips to Unlock New Characters Faster With Minimal Grinding
You don't have to spend 10 hours a week grinding to unlock new characters fast, even if you're sticking to free unlock methods. The first trick is to focus on World Tour side quests for the specific characters you want to play first, instead of bouncing between every NPC you meet. Buy their favorite gifts from the Metro City convenience store for a few hundred Zenny each, and you'll boost bond level gains by 2x, cutting your grind time in half.
Make sure you log in for 10 minutes every day to complete daily challenges, even if you don't have time for a full play session. Most daily challenges give 50 to 100 Drive Tickets, and you can complete most of them in one or two quick matches. If you log in every day, you can earn enough Drive Tickets for a free DLC character in 4 to 6 weeks of casual play, no long grinding sessions required.
Keep an eye out for Battle Hub event weekends too, especially around new character launches. Capcom usually runs 2x or 3x Drive Ticket events for these weekends, so you can earn hundreds of extra tickets just by playing a few casual matches with other players. You can also team up with friends for co-op World Tour battles to earn extra bond points for all the characters in your party at the same time.
Use your premium Fighter Coins only for characters you want to play immediately. If you're not in a rush to try a new DLC character, wait a few weeks and unlock it for free with your earned Drive Tickets instead. You'll save your premium currency for fighters you actually want to main on launch day, and you won't have to spend extra money on content you can earn for free with just a little bit of consistent play.
At the end of the day, how to get new characters in Street Fighter 6 comes down to your personal priorities. If you don't mind putting in a few hours of casual play across World Tour and daily challenges, you can unlock almost every fighter for free without spending extra cash. If you want to jump right into playing new DLC fighters on launch day, paid character passes or individual purchases are the easiest, most affordable option. No matter which path you take, you don't have to spend hundreds of hours grinding or overspend to get access to your favorite fighters. Just pick the method that fits your play schedule and budget, and get back to landing those perfect combos in the Battle Hub.