As was rumoured yesterday, Capcom overnight announced a major update to last year’s celebrated fighter in the shape of new standalone title Super Street Fighter IV.

The game will include eight new characters including fan-favourite T-Hawk and new arrival Juri. The remainder of the additions are expected to mix both old and new faces.

A number of tweaks and enhancements have also been included based on feedback from the SFIV community.

Many had expected that any expansions to SFIV would appear in the form of DLC, but Capcom producer Yoshinoro Ono told Gamespot that a digital update wasn’t feasible because the scope of the additions planned meant that previous provisions put in place for DLC wouldn’t be able to integrate some of the more significant back-end changes.

However, owners of SFIV are urged to keep hold of their current game as ownership of the first title will yield an as-of-yet unknown benefit for those who buy the sequel. Fortunately, SSFIV is set to be a budget release.

The game is due out on Xbox 360 and PS3 in spring of next year.