Capcom has officially unveiled Laura Matsuda and introduced the Brazilian fighter into Street Fighter V's lineup. "Officially" is key here, as Japanese game magazine Famitsu accidentally revealed the fighter last week.
Laura joins the list of confirmed fighters that includes Ken, Ryu, Cammy, Chun-Li, M. Bison, Vega, Charlie Nash, Birdie, R. Mika, Necalli, Zangief, Karin and Rashid.
She isn't be the series' first Brazilian, or even the second, but she's the first character to specialize in Jiu-Jitsu.
There were Brazilians Blanka and later Sean Matsuda, who some Street Fighter fans may recall was a seemingly under-powered fighter who fought in the Shotokan style of series mainstays Ken and Ryu. That guy, Sean, is Laura's little brother.
Being the older Matsuda, it's Laura who stuck with the family's legendary background in Jiu-Jitsu. And in Street Fighter V, she'll be looking to spread that Matsuda name and raise its profile.
"Laura's methodical grapple technique comes equipped with a stunning 'Thunder Clap' projectile that zaps opponents and leaves them questioning if they should get in close, or keep their distance," says Capcom.
Laura can also activate her "Spark Show" special, which will boost her projectiles and will buff the stun damaged delivered by her grabs and attacks.
"Using a variety of quick moving attacks and effective command grabs, Laura will become a favorite for players who enjoy 'up close and personal' mind games," Capcom says.
Before her official unveiling, Famistu stumbled upon her art clippings and field footage, so fans found out about her sooner than Capcom would have liked. But at the Brasil Game Show on Thursday, Oct. 8, Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono officially introduced Laura to the world.
There's an interesting question that was raised by Forbes. Ono has professed his love for Blanka, that green beast that could probably power an office with his electrical abilities. So is this green-clad combatant Blanka's playable replacement?
Blanka has yet to step from behind the curtain and join the Street Fighter V lineup. We might just have gotten our first real look at Blanka's replacement. Check out Laura's "electrifying" trailer below:
