Zangief’s kit and tools have been tweaked and changed quite a bit throughout Street Fighter’s history, and it looks like he’ll be cooking up some new sauce the next time we see him.
Capcom just released some new footage of the Russian wrestler as he appears in Street Fighter 6, which reveals new ways to use his special dummy Zangief in addition to Super Art 1.
The big surprise is that Zangief finally has an Overdrive (EX) version to his Double Lariat, which can also be canceled Super at Cyclone Lariat level 2.
As far as we know, this is the first time the developers have given it an EX pass, and that brings with it a host of new implications for how it can be used.
Considering Double Lariat is usually performed with all 3 buttons, the move should do something different for Overdrive whether that makes the attack use moves now, just 2 punches or a combination of punches and kicks.
SF6 Director Takayuki Nakayama confirmed that the Level 1 Zangief Super is called Aerial Russian Slam, which appears to act as an anti-air as well as an extension of its Level 2.
New footage also shows that the Cyclone Lariat has two different versions. The initial trailer showed him hitting a pose and slamming Honda into the ground.
according to Nakayama (As translated by Nicholas ‘MajinTenshinhan’ Taylor), Gief will continue to spin and fire the opponent if the player continues holding the button after activating the Super.
With Zangief a Level 1 Super being an Anti-Air Grab, it could mean that the wrestler has no real reversals in their arsenal aside from a Level 3 Command Grab unless they decide to give the OD Double Lariat those characteristics.
You can see more of Zangief in action for the SF6 below.
Zangief wants to keep opponents so close they can smell his muscles. 💪
He can make use of his Level 2 Super Art Cyclone Lariat to absorb opponents and follow through with a variety of bone-crushing attacks. pic.twitter.com/Gmu4IP38rE
– StreetFighter March 6, 2023
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