While Street Fighter 6’s new gameplay trailer for Elena mostly did a great job of getting people hyped for the final Year 2 character, the very end of the video showcased the Capoeira queen using her infamous Healing Super Art. With a storied history of letting fights drag on, does Healing still have a place in the latest Street Fighter game?
Much like how Healing was Elena’s Super Art III in Street Fighter III and her Ultra Combo II in Street Fighter IV, the ability has been renamed to “Revival Dance” and will serve as her Level 2 Super Art in Street Fighter 6. Instead of giving her healing over time while remaining stationary, Revival Dance starts with a combo that has Elena launching herself forward with a flurry of kicks. Upon landing the Super Art, you can choose whether to continue the combo or sacrifice some damage for a quick heal.
Healing has been an issue for players since Elena first appeared in Street Fighter III: New Generation. The ability was considered extremely problematic in Street Fighter IV due to the many ways Elena could create openings to use the ability. With careful resource management and spacing, Elena can restore all of her health or use Healing more than once per round.
Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama already said that Elena’s Healing wouldn’t be a problem back when the Year 2 characters were first announced, but including a restorative ability in any fighting game always comes with risks. Considering you now need to hit your opponents with Revival Dance to activate Elena’s healing skill, Capcom may be on the right track when it comes to balancing the character before Year 3 begins.
Elena is set to release on June 5 for Street Fighter 6, which is available for PC (Steam), PS4/PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
