Capcom Adjusts Street Fighter V Community Licensing Agreement After Backlash

Capcom has modified its recently released Street Fighter V Community License Agreement--a no-cost license for using SFV at local tournaments--after the original version received criticism by the fighting game community for negatively affecting smaller tournament organizers.

Capcom released a statement via Twitter regarding the changes, saying that "we acknowledge that we could have handled the situation better" and that organizers are a "highly valued part of the Street Fighter community."


Blog post https://t.co/1ipE3umksm
Updated community license https://t.co/VgxYBgO2z6 pic.twitter.com/dNUfR9nrys

— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) May 12, 2022

Among the biggest changes from the original February version of the agreement are:

  • The maximum prize pool ceilings have been increased:
    • From $2,000 to $10,000 per event
    • The annual cap of $10,000 combined has been removed
  • Maximum limits on sponsorship contributions for a single org were increased:
    • From $5,000 to $6,000 per event
    • From $20,000 to $30,000 per year
  • Spectator fees are no longer restricted, so long as those fees are used to offset venue costs and other expenses.
  • Bars are no longer banned from hosting tournaments, so long as the organizer does not own the bar and "the event is not sponsored by any prohibited brands--including alcohol brands--outlined in Section IV (d) of the agreement."
  • Capcom no longer claims ownership and distribution rights on audio and video taken at events.

Tournaments that exceed these limits can apply for the full esports license--but that option does require a fee.

Street Fighter V will feature heavily in this year's competitive fighting game circuit, as it's been announced as a main stage game for Evo 2022, Combo Breaker 2022, and more. This will likely be the final year of SFV being featured, however, as Street Fighter 6 was announced earlier this year.

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