Sagat seems to have experienced an unexpected reduction in his effectiveness following the latest update for Street Fighter 6.
The recent patch, which is now available (you can read more about it at this link: https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2025/dec/14/balance-changes-street-fighter-6/), has brought changes to nine out of the total 28 characters in the game. Among these, Mai, Elena, and Sagat have undergone the most extensive adjustments.
Mai, unsurprisingly, has received several nerfs, as many players regarded her as the top character in this installment. On the other hand, Capcom’s adjustments to Sagat and Elena were aimed at enhancing their overall performance, as they were perceived to be lagging behind most of the character roster.
Specifically, Sagat has seen modifications to a variety of his moves, including the crouching light kick, crouching medium kick, Tiger Monolith, heavy Tiger Uppercut (when held), heavy Tiger Knee Crush, Tiger Nexus, Mighty Tiger, Greedy Tiger, and Nova Tiger.
It’s crucial to note that Capcom did not make any alterations to Sagat's projectile attacks. Despite this, players have reported a change in a longstanding interaction that Sagat has had with opponents throughout many iterations of Street Fighter. Normally, opponents can duck under Sagat’s High Tiger Shot; however, this option has typically been unavailable during wake-up situations after being knocked down. This is because players must first stand up before they can crouch, temporarily raising their hurtbox.
As a result, Sagat should be able to pressure opponents into blocking a meaty High Tiger Shot following a knockdown in certain scenarios. Previously, this tactic was viable in Street Fighter 6, but it now appears that this is no longer possible.
Currently, it remains uncertain whether this change was intentional. However, the removal of this particular setup has rendered Sagat slightly less effective, despite the patch's goal of improving the character's "usability."
If I had to speculate, I would suggest that this change was likely unintentional, as it never seemed overtly powerful to begin with. It's reasonable to anticipate that Capcom may need to roll out another patch to restore the previous interaction mechanics regarding Sagat's High Tiger Shot.
For those curious about the community's reaction, you can find posts highlighting these concerns below:
Ehhhhh why can Sagat not do meaty high shots anymore pic.twitter.com/kYivr3Rx0F
— Andreas Persson (@Rikemansbarnet) December 16, 2025
気になってやってみたらスカったんだけど、これ前はガードになってなかった？サガット弱体化か？ pic.twitter.com/rgDbhvLYOX
— EGO | hishow(飛翔兎) (@hishou10) December 16, 2025
