The announcement that the Capcom Cup 12 Finals and Street Fighter League (SFL) World Championship 2025 would be streamed live via pay-per-view caught many people (including the Street Fighter 6 developers themselves) by surprise. After much backlash, game director Takayuki Nakayama said that Capcom would be conducting an internal discussion about these once free-to-watch events. Unfortunately, it seems that Capcom is pushing through with its pay-per-view monetization, whether fans like it or not. Although the new statement is somewhat ambiguous, tickets are still scheduled to go on sale.
According to the Capcom Fighters official X account, the decision to introduce pay-per-view was made to “promote Capcom’s esports business in a sustainable manner over the medium-to-long term.” Its ultimate goal is to grow the tournaments into “internationally competitive events” (which is unusual, considering many Capcom-sponsored Street Fighter tournaments are already global in scale). Capcom has acknowledged the differing opinions regarding the matter, and is currently in the process of discussing pay-per-view options with all related parties, though it has said this process will take some time.
Despite the negative criticism, pricing details for pay-per-view tickets (which were initially announced for late October) will push through once the coordination process has been completed. While the Capcom 12 Finals and SFL World Championship 2025 pay-per-view details have yet to be announced, SFL: Pro-JP Playoffs and Grand Finals tickets will start as scheduled on November 12.
Though this isn’t a consolation, Capcom has said that it will provide clearer updates regarding its esports events in the future, be it through social media, its official website, or through its public relations representatives.
Several comments have already called Capcom’s announcement “empty” and “ironic”, given that pay-per-view tickets are going on sale regardless of fans’ opinions. Others are hoping that Capcom will find other, non-exclusive ways to make its money back, such as with limited-time purchasable skins or stages. Given the number of people who watch the culmination of live Street Fighter events, there is bound to be a better way to make a profit without alienating a good part of the fanbase.
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