Frame Data

The numbers that describe the timing of every move in a fighting game, counted in frames, the game's smallest unit of time. The core values are startup (when the attack's hitbox comes out), active frames (how long the hitbox stays out) and recovery (how long the character stays committed after the attack ends). On top of those come frame advantage on hit and on block: a positive number means you can act first, a negative one means your opponent can. Capcom publishes official frame data for every Street Fighter 6 character on its website, with columns for start-up, active, recovery, hit and block. For example, Ryu's Standing Light Kick is listed with a start-up of 5, active frames 5-7, recovery of 11, +2 on hit and -4 on block. If a move leaves you at -4 on block, an opponent with a 4-frame attack can punish it; if their fastest attack is slower than that, the move is safe. Competitive players use these numbers to find which moves they can punish, which pressure is safe, and how to time attacks so their active frames meet an opponent getting up.