The announcement that the Capcom Cup 12 finals and the Street Fighter League (SFL) World Championship 2025 would be in a "pay-per-view" format surprised many, including the SF6 developers. After the outrage, game director Takueki Nakayama announced an internal discussion of these previously free events. But it seems that Capcom is continuing its course towards monetization, regardless of fan reaction. The new statement remains somewhat vague, but ticket sales are still planned.
According to the official Capcom Fighters account on X, the decision to have a paid broadcast was made for the "sustainable development of Capcom's esports direction in the medium and long term." The main goal is to make the tournaments "internationally competitive," although many competitions are already global in scale. Capcom acknowledges the different opinions on this matter and is in discussion with the parties involved, which will take some time.
Despite the criticism, prices for paid broadcasts (originally announced for the end of October) will be announced after coordination is completed. While PPV details for the Capcom 12 and SFL World Championship 2025 finals have not been revealed, tickets for the SFL: Pro-JP Playoffs and Grand Finals will go on sale as scheduled on November 12.