Learn all about the Capcom Pro Tour 2016 Season and how to qualify for Capcom Cup!
The past two seasons of the Capcom Pro Tour have been nothing short of amazing for anyone who is a fan of Street Fighter. Players were competing at their absolute prime with the stakes being higher than ever, resulting in some of the most incredible matches we’ve ever witnessed. Fans had countless opportunities to engage with the scene through live streams, with events being broadcast virtually every month resulting in record viewership.
It’s been a wild ride so far and we’ve put in a lot of work to get where we are now, but what if we told you that the Capcom Pro Tour is just getting started?
A new season with a brand new game, Street Fighter V, means we’re about to enter a new era of fighting where no one can predict the outcome. It’s an exciting time to be involved with the scene and we’re equally excited to share many of the changes to the tour structure that we feel will really bring this global community together even more and help us reach new heights never thought possible just a few years ago.
And with that, let’s get into the details of the Capcom Pro Tour 2016 season!
Capcom Cup Qualification and Point Distribution
To kick things off, let’s talk about how to qualify for Capcom Cup 2016. Here is the breakdown:
• 32 players qualify for Capcom Cup 2016
• Of the 32 players, 11 qualify via Global Premier Events
• 1 is invited from EVO 2016
• 4 qualify via Regional Finals, 1 player from each event
• 8 qualify via regional point leaderboards, top 2 from each region
• 8 qualify via the global point leaderboards.
If a player is ranked highly on both the global and regional leaderboards, the global leaderboards ranking supersedes the regional point leaderboards.
Regional Event Structure & Regional Leaderboards
The single biggest change this year is the Capcom Pro Tour consisting of four distinct regions, each with their own leaderboard and Regional Finals event. The goal here is to allow for a new path for players to qualify for the year-end finale as the top two from each regional leaderboard and the winner of the Regional Finals event will be selected to participate in Capcom Cup 2016. This will highlight some of the top regional talent from across the globe; something we felt has been missing in previous years.
The regional breakdown looks like this:
North America
• Canada
• United States
• Puerto Rico
Latin America
• Mexico
• South America
• Dominican Republic
• Costa Rica
Asia/Oceana
• Australia
• Southeast Asia
• Japan
• Korea
• China
Europe
• Middle East
• Eastern Europe
• Western Europe
Each region consists of:
• 12 Ranking Events
• 2 Online Events
• 1 Regional Finals Event
Players who win either a Ranking Event or an Online Event automatically qualify for the Regional Final. Capcom will also cover their flight and hotel to participate in the Regional Finals event.
Note that if a player wins a Ranking Event and has already qualified for the Regional Finals event, the next highest placing player will be selected.
Below is the list of Ranking Events on the tour so far:
Regional Finals
So now you’re probably wondering how the Regional Finals work, right? In short, they are the last tournament for each region to decide which player qualifies for Capcom Cup. Day one will consist of an open bracket where the top two placers go on to day two. Day two is a 16 man bracket comprised of 12 of the Ranking Event winners, two of the Online Event winners and of course the top two from the previous day.
Note that if a player wins the Regional Final and is already qualified for Capcom Cup, this will open up another spot on the global leaderboards. Also keep in mind that there is no point structure associated with Regional Finals as they only act as qualifiers for Capcom Cup.
EVO 2016
We’re honored to have EVO 2016 be a part of the Capcom Pro Tour this year. Like last year, we’ll be adding $50,000 to the prize pool and will offer an invitation to the winner to participate in Capcom Cup 2016. Also, as seen above, EVO has its own point structure as well.
EVO 2016 is going big this year so be sure to check them out on Twitter and at their official website for more information.
Global Premier Events
Of course, one of the main pillars of the Capcom Pro Tour is our Premier Events. This year we are partnering with 11 of the most prestigious fighting game events from around the world where the winner will earn their spot in Capcom Cup 2016.
One major change this year is that players must place first at a Premier Event to qualify for Capcom Cup. If a player has already qualified for Capcom Cup and wins a Premier Event, it will open up an additional spot on the global leaderboards.
Note that points awarded at Premier Events count towards a player’s global standing and do not count towards their regional standing.
Prizing
Like the 2015 season, $500,000 is up for grabs, which is split between our Global Premier Events, EVO and Capcom Cup 2015.
Here is the breakdown:
• $250,000 base prize pool for Capcom Cup, distributed amongst top 8
• $50,000 boost to prize pool for EVO 2016, distributed amongst top 8
• $15,000 boost to the prize pool for each Global Premier Event, distributed amongst top 8
Online Events
Another big change for the 2016 season is the fact we are bringing back Online Events. We feel this is a great way for new players to get involved with the tour and as mentioned previously, will also act as a qualifying event for each territory’s Regional Final.We’ll have more info surrounding the Online Events in the coming months so stay tuned!
For more updates on the Capcom Pro Tour, follow us on Twitter @CapcomFighters and check back to CapcomProTour.com often as we’ll keep updating everyone with exciting news surrounding the tour throughout the year!