Razer offering limited Street Fighter V-themed Panthera in July

Razer's arcade stick is getting a limited edition makeover during the summer of 2017.

Starting in July, the company will be offering a model of its Panthera stick with art featuring bearded Ryu and Akuma from Street Fighter V. The art itself will be an updated take on the classic showdown between the two characters that adorned Street Fighter Alpha 2 posters, boxes and other official memorabilia.

No price has been announced for the limited model, but the Panthera normally retails for $199.99. Readers can check out IPLAYWINNER's review of the stick here, and can check out the lag tests for its 1.01.00 firmware after the jump.

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Review: Razer Panthera arcade stick (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC)

Commonly known more for its gaming-focused PC peripherals and the communities that use them, Razer's attention to the fighting game community has been intriguing. Along with sponsoring players such as Infiltration, Fuudo and Xian, the company made arcade sticks to compete with Mad Catz, Qanba and Hori. With models for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, the Atrox series had features ahead of its time all housed in a slick body design.

RAZER PANTHERA ARCADE STICK SCREENSHOTS

Even with cool features, Razer faced a situation where it had to deal with criticism. Events such as EVO 2015, where Momochi's Atrox stick was suddenly disabled on the eve of his Ultra Street Fighter IV victory, became a controversial topic in the community. Technical issues would also surface in future events giving more people reason to heckle Razer.

The company also had to adapt to the current FGC competitive climate. With a majority of fighting games being commonly available on the PlayStation 4, the manufacturer began work on a stick for that platform. Given another chance, Razer's new model—Panthera—doesn't deviate too much from its prdecessors while still making sure the stick is ready for a new generation. While the consistency is nice, the continuations—as well the smaller changes and additions—aren't always for the best.

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MarkMan joins Razer

Mark "MarkMan" Julio has announced he is the new Fighting Game Community and Product Consultant for Razer.

The announcement comes just days before Capcom Cup, where Razer players Infiltration, Fuudo and Xian will compete along with 29 other players for cash prizes of more than $350,000.

"I take pride in the work I've done over the years being a part of the fighting game community," Julio said in a statement to IPLAYWINNER. "What I really started with Mad Catz and now EVO... is branching out and working with more like minded people within the gaming industry. The goal is to create a better place for the fighting game community and with the support & dedication from the team over at Razer, the future is looking bright. "

Since leaving gaming peripheral maker Mad Catz in February 2016, MarkMan has been very busy teaming up with companies involved in the fighting game community. In addition to his newly announced job with Razer and work as part of global business development for Evo, Julio is also the Tekken Brand and Community Advisor for Bandai Namco.

Infiltration Joins Team Razer

Seon-woo "Infiltration" Lee is the newest member of Razer's gaming team, showing up to a special Street Fighter V exhibition wearing the team's colors during Singapore's Game Start Asia convention.

The company had tweeted out a teaser for the announcement on Nov. 12, but had chosen not to elaborate on the situation.

Infiltration joins fellow fighting game players Kun Xian Ho, Keita “Fuudo” Ai, Ghim Kee “Gackt” Eng, Hiromiki “Itabashi Zangief” Kumada and Carl “Perfect Legend” White as part of Team Razer.

Perfect Legend Joins Team Razer

Razer has added Carl "Perfect Legend" White to its stable of fighting game players. White is the first U.S.-born fighting game player on the team, and will begin to represent Razer in the upcoming Fatal 8 Mortal Kombat X exhibition on April 11.

Perfect Legend joins other fighting game players Ho Kun Xian, Hiromiki "Itazan" Kumada and Keita "Fuudo" Ai on Team Razer.