What did Ubisoft change after Street Fighter issues?

Street Fighter’s live-action reboot reportedly received a rewrite

A new live-action Street Fighter adaptation had to undergo a significant overhaul before production moved forward. The update indicates the project was rewritten after “major issues” surfaced, leading to a changed approach going into filming.

The revised version is set in 1993 and centers on two fighters: Ryu and Ken. Ryu is played by Andrew Koji, and the adaptation’s core storyline is built around their rivalry and progression as combatants.

The practical importance here is that the rewrite suggests the earlier development direction encountered problems serious enough to force structural changes—something studios usually avoid unless the story, tone, or production plan no longer feels viable.

When a reboot is anchored to a recognizable setting and specific character focus, rewrites often function as a way to clarify what kind of Street Fighter the movie is meant to be. In this case, the 1993 setting and the pairing of Ryu/Ken signals an effort to align with the franchise’s classic identity rather than chasing a more divergent premise.

It also points to the wider Hollywood pattern of retooling video-game adaptations in development. Fans are highly sensitive to how faithfully these films capture established character dynamics and era details, so locking the setting and lead duo gives the project an easier-to-sell hook.

Bottom line: the film was reshaped through a rewrite, and the new framing puts Ryu and Ken at the center of a 1993-set story—reflecting an effort to stabilize the adaptation’s creative direction after earlier problems.