Capcom Bans Street Fighter 6 Beta Hackers From $2 Million Pro Tour
Some Street Fighter 6 pros may have a not-so-great surprise coming in the near future. Capcom has announced that it will ban anyone who used hacks during the Street Fighter 6 closed beta from competing in the Capcom Pro Tour.
SF6 had its last beta in December of 2022. But some players have managed to hack the beta and continue using its core features months after the servers were officially shut down. Capcom recently became aware of this situation and is looking to punish anyone who participated in this illegal activity.
On April 28, the publisher took to Twitter to announce that it has been informed of people using the beta “outside of the designated period,” which violates the terms of service. From this point on, if Capcom has enough evidence to prove that a player has been hacking the closed beta, the guilty player will be banned from entering the Capcom Pro Tour.
— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) April 28, 2023
The Capcom Pro Tour is set to be the biggest FGC esports circuit in history thanks to the arrival of Street Fighter 6 in June as well as the $2 million prize pool — with $1 million going to the Capcom Cup winner.
But any player who participated in hacking the closed beta will be automatically disqualified from all pro circuit tournaments and events, including Street Fighter League’s upcoming season.
Why Are People Hacking Street Fighter 6?
With so much money and prestige on the line, many competitive players — including top pros — have been trying to practice the game as much as possible heading into Evo and other big events after the game’s launch. This includes hacking into the beta to continue practicing new mechanics and characters.
But pro players like Yusuke Momochi and Justin Wong have started coming forward about the situation by questioning the legality of the secret practice.
Said Momochi, according to a translated statement: “I feel like those playing on the Cracked version should be permanently banned. (Capcom) is being too soft.”
He added that the players hacking into the beta have even been discussing it openly on Twitter and Twitch, leaving Momochi wondering why Capcom hasn’t done anything to stop them. Other pros have also stated that it should be illegal to use the software against the developer’s wishes.
FGC has reached a new level of stupidity with this SF6 Crack discourse.
— J I Y U N A (@jiyunaJP) April 25, 2023
Using a 3rd party tool against the developers wishes to gain a competitive advantage is the literal definition of CHEATING. I don’t care if you do it or not, stop trying to justify it and just embrace it. https://t.co/s68dDo4Yh4
Now it seems like Capcom has caught wind of the situation as more pros discuss the cracked beta. The company is responding with very strict punishment that could even spell the end of some pro players’ careers. While some players feel that Capcom took too long to respond despite having clear evidence for months, others feel it’s better late than never.
It’s unclear how Capcom plans to find out who has hacked the beta. Some speculate that it could be asking for players to come forward with names. But players are wondering how Capcom will get proof that certain players have abused the beta. This is something that Capcom will have to specify going forward.
A few Street Fighter fans have expressed concern that their favorite top players may end up not competing in the Capcom Pro Tour. But for now, only time will tell what will come of Capcom’s warning.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!