Dude, I've play most fighting game releases and I even ask people to play and try to introduce them to more things. I even play SF5 and sign for it at tournaments (I'm dumb enough to sign up for like 5 games each time at EVO). Like even during SF4 era, people complain a lot about a game, and online you can see people always say something like "play VF, GG, KOF, etc", games with legacy basically close to 2 decades old, but when it comes down to it, they don't. A lot of people think VF is some hardcore game, it actually isn't that hard to start playing. People think KOF is crazy at entry level because of it's combos, believe it or not it is easier to get a simple bnb because most of the time you don't need to link. A lot of people have perceptions of other games without much experience that you get this kind of echo chamber that makes them hesitant to try something else, even if they have qualms with what they are currently doing.
It may sound like salt (I'm really not, because tbh SF5 is actually a game I can have fun with still and I even play sets with people in person when I get a chance) but it's a firsthand anecdote that is pretty much true. It gets the most entrants with the most visible enmity toward it from it's players, even though we are pretty much in a golden age of fighting games.
Like what the fuck do you think I am in denial of? Everything besides actually playing the game has been a misstep and the gameplay is a real subjective point for many players since it can feel too offensive. If people are actively complaining they have avenues to try other things, and I encourage it. More games would love support too.
