Capcom Says ‘Street Fighter’ World Championship’s Wild Ticket Prices, Pay-Per-View Livestreams Necessary For Esports Growth
Despite their introduction being met with widespread rejection from fans and players, Capcom has confirmed that paid admission to the upcoming Capcom Cup’s in-person and livestream viewing events is here to stay, particularly as they’re looking to put the funds derived from the Street Fighter world championships towards growing their esports endeavors.
Set to take place from March 11-15th, 2026, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium in Sumida, Tokyo the 12th annual Capcom Cup will see 48 individual players from around the world, each competitor having earned their spot through the Capcom Pro Tour circuit, face off for the title of Street Fighter 6 world champ and a $1 Million cash prize.
Simultaneously, the weekend will also play host to the Street Fighter League championships, where the eponymous circuit’s “top teams from Japan, the United States, and Europe compete to be the best team in the world”, as well as their own cash prize of $200,000 USD.
In the past, while in-person tickets to these tournaments usually run for a fairly high price, their actual fights were alaways made available to budget-conscious players – not to mention content creators – via Twitch and YouTube livestreams.
But this year, not only will physical tickets see a bump in price, but said livestreams will now be locked behind pay-per-view access.
As confirmed on September 28th, in-person tickets for the Capcom Cup group stage elimination rounds and the Street Fighter League qualifiers will run from ¥2,000 JPY (~$13 USD) for the bleachers and up to ¥10,000 (~$60) for the venue’s upper tier box seats, with prices doubling up on every tier but the lowest for the weekend finals, the best bleacher spots jumping to ¥6,000 (~$40) and the aforementioned box seats to ¥20,000 (~$132) – a general increase of ¥2,000 from the prices for the previous Capcom.
Meanwhile, though the Capcom Cup group stage and Street Fighter League qualifiers “will be streamed for free on YouTube and Twitch”, their finals would be offered as pay-per-view events, either individually for ¥4,000 (~$26) or bundled together for ¥6,000 (~$40).
Unfortunately, though this initial reveal was met with both shock and a promise to investigate the situation by Street Fighter 6 Director Takayuki Nakayama, it seems his player-first sentiments ultimately had little sway over Capcom, who on October 26th both reaffirmed the tournaments’ new pricing structure and provided their esports-based reasoning behind their decision:
“The decision to introduce Pay-Per-View live streaming for CAPCOM CUP 12 and Street Fighter League: World Championship 2025 stems from our commitment to promoting our eSports business in a sustainable manner over the medium to long term. Our goal is to grow these tournaments into internationally competitive events by reinvesting in participating players and teams, our partners, and related business areas. We sincerely acknowledge the many opinions we have received from everyone and are carefully discussing the matter with all relevant parties. As a result, the coordination process is taking some time.
“Previously, we announced that pricing details for Pay-Per-View tickets would be shared in late October. We will provide this information as preparations are complete, and we kindly ask for your continued patience.
“Going forward, we will strive to provide clearer and more accessible updates regarding Capcom eSports through our official website, official social media channels, and explanations from our public relations representatives.”
Drawing their statement to a close, Capcom additionally affirmed, “Please note that Pay-Per-View ticket sales for the Street Fighter League: Pro-JP Playoffs & Grand Finals will begin as scheduled on November 12.”
