In a 2003 interview with the game's producer Noritaka Funamizu published in the 15th Anniversary Street Fighter limited edition DVD set, Funamizu stated that at the time he had been pushing Yoshiki Okamoto to include Chun-Li in the game, and Okamoto agreed to it, if 3rd Strike were to be developed. At the time, the team thought of making a big roster for 3rd Strike, and Okamoto was more insistent. He also stated that if Chun-Li wasn't included in the game, she wouldn't have gained the same impact as before. Okamoto thought of Chun-Li as the mascot of Capcom.

Funamizu also stated that Chun-Li's absence was the team's number one complaint they received from players for not including her in the previous Street Fighter III games. However, he stated that the team did wanted to include her in the games.