At the recent Tokyo Game Show, Capcom announced a new pay-per-view (PPV) model for its major esports tournaments, the Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League. This decision sparked significant backlash from the fighting game community, leading Capcom to state that it will now reconsider the change.
According to VGC, a new statement from Capcom regarding these events confirms that the company is “reviewing pricing and related details.” Further updates concerning the PPV broadcast, including final pricing and additional context, are anticipated to be shared next month.
The initial announcement at Tokyo Game Show outlined Capcom`s plans for the new PPV structure, setting a price of 4,000 yen (approximately $27 USD) for each livestream: the Capcom Cup finals on March 14 and the Street Fighter League finals the following day. A reduced bundle price of 6,000 yen (roughly $40 USD) was also offered for both events. In contrast, previous Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League events were broadcast free of charge via the Capcom Fighters Twitch and YouTube channels, with optional event-themed cosmetic items available for purchase in the in-game store.
The announcement immediately ignited widespread criticism across social media platforms, voiced by both fans and individuals working on the game. Takayuki Nakayama, director of Street Fighter 6, posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating that “even the development team was surprised by this announcement” and apologized for “any concern this may have caused.”
Street Fighter 6 is currently available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. The game is in its third season of downloadable content, with the next fighter, Crimson Viper, scheduled to join the roster on October 15.