SF6 Tier List: ZETA DIVISION Places Ryu and Terry in S Tier Ahead of SFL
Two weeks before Street Fighter League begins, ZETA DIVISION esports competitors MenaRD, Momochi, and Yamaguchi placed Ryu and Terry at the top of their Street Fighter 6 tier list while sending Akuma straight to B-tier.
Key Takeaways:
- Shoto Dominance: Ryu and Terry anchor S-tier, establishing a new competitive baseline.
- Former Giants Fall: Former top-tier staples Akuma and JP dropped to lower tiers due to unfavorable matchups against top shotos.
- SFL Readiness: The ZETA DIVISION roster evaluated character performance across current balance updates to prepare for team league play.
Shoto Dominance Leads S-Tier Selection
During the ZETA STREET LIVE #22 broadcast, the ZETA DIVISION squad gathered to evaluate the current Street Fighter 6 competitive landscape. With team member Higuchi away at CEO, Momochi, Yamaguchi, MenaRD, and JacK took on the task of building a consensus ranking.
The crew locked in Ryu as a unanimous S-tier character. MenaRD went a step further, highlighting Terry right alongside Ryu as the strongest option in the game. Guile, Luke, Dee Jay, Elena, C. Viper, and Mai joined Ryu and Terry in S-tier, creating a group heavy on fireballs, neutral control, and space control.
"Ryu is 100% S, but not the best. I think Terry may be the best." — MenaRD, ZETA DIVISION Player
Major Meta Shifts: Akuma and JP Fall to Lower Tiers
The biggest discussion centered around characters dropping in effective tournament strength. MenaRD and the team pushed Akuma down to B-tier, pointing to struggles against the refreshed shoto archetype and strong neutral fighters. JP suffered a similar drop, landing in lower A-tier as top-tier characters maintain tools that bypass his zoning pressure. E. Honda sat alone at the bottom in D-tier.
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| S Tier | Ryu, Terry, Luke, Mai, Elena, Guile, Dee Jay, C. Viper |
| A Tier | Blanka, Sagat, Jamie, Rashid, Lily, JP, Kimberly, Ed, M. Bison, Cammy, Alex |
| B Tier | Zangief, A.K.I., Juri, Akuma, Ken, Chun-Li, Marisa |
| C Tier | Dhalsim, Ingrid, Manon, Yasmine |
| D Tier | E. Honda |
Measuring Pro Impressions Against Tournament Data
As major competitive events unfold following the latest balance patch, tournament results will show whether live bracket outcomes match these initial pro impressions. Tracking how Ryu, Terry, and Akuma perform in actual tournament play will provide a clearer picture of where each character truly stands.
Source: ZETA DIVISION