Capcom has announced the return of the Capcom Pro Tour (CPT) in 2023 with a grand prize pool and Street Fighter 6 debut. Each year the Capcom Pro Tour brings together Street Fighter fans from around the world. With a series of thrilling tournaments, this time Street Fighter 6 will be the star of the Capcom Pro Tour and the next Capcom Cup.The Capcom Cup 2022 recently came to an end, defining the champion and the best Street Fighter 5 player in the world. The Latin American fans are celebrating, as Saul "BANDITS|MenaRD" Mena won the title and became the first two-time Capcom Cup champion, beating big names like Derek "XSET|iDom" Ruffin and Yusuke Momochi. A prominent name in the Street Fighter competitive world, MenaRD outclassed his opponents by playing Birdie, his signature character, and Luke. The tournament became even more symbolic as Street Fighter 5's farewell to Capcom Cup.At the Capcom Cup 2022 awards ceremony, Capcom officially announced the Capcom Pro Tour 2023. One of the biggest parts of the announcement is the over $2 million prize pool, with $1 million going to first place. The circuit will have a mix of online and offline events and will feature Street Fighter 6 as the exclusive game. The schedule for the Capcom Pro Tour has not yet been released, but the expectation is to include the traditional appearance at EVO. Every year the world's biggest fighting game tournaments bring together fans of traditional franchises like Street Fighter, Tekken, and King of Fighters, with exciting matches and game announcements.
While Capcom has not revealed additional information about Capcom Pro Tour 2023, the attention of Street Fighter fans turns to EVO 2023. This Tuesday the EVO 2023 lineup will be revealed, announcing the main stage games and the side tournaments. In addition to the potential Street Fighter 6 debut, there is an expectation that EVO may be the place of another big moment, the end of Tekken 7's successful run in competitive fighting games.
The Capcom Pro Tour return is exciting not only for the big prize pool announced but also for the return to normalcy. Street Fighter competitive has had a tough time because of the pandemic, including the cancelation of Capcom Cup 2020 and the move to online tournaments. In a year with Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and other titles promising big thrills, it's a good time for fighting games to be impactful again.
Street Fighter 6 releases June 2 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.