Which new counterattack system did Street Fighter IV introduce?

Street Fighter IV introduced Focus Attacks as its new counterattack system.

A Focus Attack is performed by pressing medium punch and medium kick together. While charging, a fighter can absorb one incoming hit, then release a counterattack. Holding the buttons longer increases its power: a fully charged Focus Attack crumples a grounded opponent and cannot be blocked.

The mechanic added a new layer to Street Fighter’s traditionally footsie-focused combat. Players could dash-cancel the move forward or backward, absorb an attack, or spend meter to cancel certain special moves into a Focus Attack. This made spacing, prediction, and defensive timing especially important.

Focus Attacks are often confused with Street Fighter V’s V-Skills or Street Fighter 6’s Drive Impact, but those belong to later games and work differently. In Japanese releases, the mechanic was called the Saving Attack. Street Fighter IV also introduced Ultra Combos, but those are meter-based super moves rather than its counterattack system.