Capcom has announced that the upcoming Capcom Cup 12 and Street Fighter League finals, set to be held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo this March, will be a Pay-Per-View (PPV) event worldwide.
On September 28, the official Capcom Fighters X (formerly known as Twitter) account shared details about ticket purchasing for those interested in being present at the arena for the festivities. However, it was also confirmed that both Capcom Cup and SFL will now be a PPV event.
While those wanting to tune in will still be able to watch the Group Stages for free from March 11 to March 13, the Capcom Cup 12 Top 16 Finals on March 14 will be locked behind a paywall. Similar to SFL, the Group Stages broadcast will be completely free on March 13, while the Finals on March 15 are PPV.
Capcom Cup is one of the most prestigious events in the Street Fighter community. Following the release of Street Fighter 6 in 2023, the event became even more relevant due to the increased prize pool, with the winner taking home $1 million.
In Japan, Street Fighter 6 became a widespread phenomenon, and in particular, the Street Fighter League became an incredibly popular competition that the Japanese community tuned in to regularly. Capcom saw an opportunity to monetize its esports ecosystem, making the SFL Japan's finals PPV earlier this year.
How Much Does It Cost To Watch Capcom Cup 12?
You're looking at paying at least ¥4,000 or around $27 to watch the Capcom Cup Top 16. However, if you want to tune in to SFL, that's a different purchase. Here is the full breakdown:
- Capcom Cup 12 Finals + SFL Finals: ¥6,000/$40
- Capcom Cup 12 Finals: ¥4,000/$27
- SFL Finals: ¥4,000/$27
It's worth mentioning that VODs for the PPV portion of these events will be available a week later for free on March 21.
The move to a PPV format also means that any potential restream and watch parties from content creators will no longer be allowed. This had become an incredible source of visibility for the event. A quick example is Maximilian Dood's video on Blaz's run from this year's Capcom Cup, which has garnered over 500k views.
As you'd expect, the FGC is heavily criticizing this decision on social media. It'll remain to be seen if Capcom overturns the call or makes the virtual tickets cheaper. And that's it.
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