Capcom Clarifies Street Fighter 6 Reactions
The decision to offer paid broadcasts for the Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League: World Championship 2025, two of the most important events in the fighting game community, has caused significant controversy in the gaming world. The Street Fighter 6 community reacted strongly to the decision to make these free-to-air events paid for years. However, Capcom broke its silence and issued an official statement on the matter.
Capcom Re-evaluates Street Fighter 6 Decision
In a social media post, Capcom shared ticket sales details for the event, which will be held in Tokyo from March 11–15, 2025, but announced that the pricing issue is being “re-examined.” The company stated, “Updated information, final pricing, and additional context regarding PPV (pay-per-view) broadcasts will be shared this month.” This statement indicates that pricing adjustments may be made following the criticism.
Initially, the price of tournament streams set at 4,000 yen (approximately $26) sparked widespread criticism. Furthermore, this fee was to be offered as a 6,000 yen (approximately $40) package for those who wanted to watch both the Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League streams. Many fans argued that this system would undermine the community’s spirit of unity. Renowned streamer Maximilian Dood spoke out against the decision, saying, “Such decisions prevent rebroadcasts that celebrate the game.”
Even Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama admitted he was unaware of the decision. Nakayama said, “This news surprised me and producer Shuhei Matsumoto,” and apologized to players. This indicates a lack of communication between Capcom’s development team and the esports department. Nakayama also offered hope to players by saying, “We will work to improve this situation in collaboration with other departments.”
Fans have suggested that Capcom could increase tournament revenue by adding exclusive cosmetic content to the game instead of a paid release model. This method was previously used in Street Fighter V, which generated $170,000 in prize pools with the 2016 Capcom Pro Tour DLC. Nakayama said that such an option has not yet been considered for Street Fighter 6, but hinted that the idea could be explored in the future.
It’s unclear what course Capcom will take. However, the response has further demonstrated the community’s commitment to the Street Fighter brand. It appears the company will need to engage in a closer dialogue with players to maintain Street Fighter 6’s popularity.
