Are new characters coming to Super Street Fighter IV as DLC?

In what could potentially be huge news for Street Fighter fans, an image allegedly taken from the recent Japanese arcade release of SSFIV reveals the game contains two new characters. The image, sourced from a Japanese player's Twitter via professional SF player Gooteck's website, clearly show two vacant spaces in the character select screen.

Above: FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU

So why are the characters blanked out?Arcade fighting games have generally featured unlockable characters that are unlocked after a certain number of matches have been played or a predeterminedamount of time has passed, which is likely the case here. Of course this is just assuming we're not looking at a Photoshop.But this image, combined with the mention of "new challengers" on the Japanese arcade cabinetis making the promise of DLC characters a very real possibility:

Above: NEW CHALENGERS?!

We'll keep a close eye this story and let you know the second these new characters are revealed, in the meantime, let the speculation begin in the comments! Rolento? Alex? SKULLOMANIA!?

July 23, 2010