Street Fighter 5 Season 2 Launch: 7 Ups & 3 Downs
2. Shoryuken (And Other Moves) No Longer Invulnerable
One of the most drastic changes in Street Fighter V's balance is also it's most controversial. While I'm personally on the side that this is a good change, there have been many arguments against it, and the historical basis is there, so I'm erring on the side of caution and I'm putting it as a negative.
Your mileage may vary.
Ryu's Shoryuken has, ever since Street Fighter 2, been one of his strongest abilities on wake-up. Temporary invulnerability when the move starts lets it become one of the most powerful reversal tools in the game, keeping the other player on their toes whenever Ryu is down, lest Ryu immediately wallop the standing player.
In Street Fighter V, characters such as Ryu, Cammy, Necalli, Ken, and Nash all had similar moves they could use on wake-up. With the new update, these moves can all be beaten, unless the downed player spends for the EX version.
Out of all the changes to the mental mind games in SFV, this is one of the biggest, and makes pressure far easier to apply against the game's top tier characters. As such a stand-by of the franchise, it remains to be seen if it's one that's good or bad for the game's long term health.