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.”

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.