Three modes, one fighting game
Street Fighter 6 splits into World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub. World Tour is the single-player story mode: you make an avatar, walk around Metro City and beyond, meet Masters who take you under their wing and teach their style and techniques. Fighting Ground is where the matches happen, with a roster of 18 fighters including Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, Jamie and Kimberly, each with redesigned looks and cinematic specials. Battle Hub is the social space where players gather, talk, and play cabinets on the floor.
Playing together
Online PvP is the main way a group meets up. You and your friends create avatars in World Tour, then take those same avatars into the Battle Hub to sit at cabinets and fight each other. The Game Center in the Battle Hub also holds classic Capcom arcade games for when you want something between matches. Local Multiplayer is listed as a feature, so you can pass a controller around on the same screen as well.
Before you start
Pick a control type early. There are three: Classic, Modern and Dynamic, and they exist so you can play at your own skill level without learning a full command list first. The Drive Gauge is a resource system you manage during a fight, so watch it drain and spend it deliberately. The Real Time Commentary Feature narrates the match and explains what is happening in your gameplay, which helps if someone in the group is new to fighting games.
This edition
The Years 1-2 Fighters Edition bundles the full game with the Year 1 Character Pass, the Year 2 Character Pass, and the Years 1-2 Fighters Edition Stages and Colors. If your group wants the full roster available from the start, that is the version to grab.