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.