Capcom Commemorates Street Fighter 5’s 8th Anniversary with Apology

Capcom recently commemorated the eighth anniversary of Street Fighter 5 with a reflective post, expressing apologies for the game’s initial state upon launch.

“From the onset to the midpoint of its release, there were network issues, a lack of content, and more… We sincerely apologize for the content that fell short of the expectations of many,” shared Capcom’s Japanese Street Fighter social media account over the weekend.

This issue was also acknowledged in our own review of Street Fighter 5 back in 2016. As we remarked at the time: “Street Fighter 5’s exceptional combat is overshadowed by a sparse launch and server difficulties.”

Fortunately, improvements were made over time. Indeed, Capcom’s message highlights that the Street Fighter 5 development team “engaged in significant self-reflection and worked tirelessly to address the issues as much as possible” from the midpoint to the conclusion of the game’s development cycle.

This resulted in a positive increase in players from Street Fighter 5’s fourth season onwards, the account observes. Presently, “hundreds of thousands of people” continue to play. “This also brings us great joy,” Capcom expressed.

Capcom further emphasized that it leveraged this experience to ensure that future releases would not encounter similar setbacks. When Street Fighter 6 debuted last year, it received favorable recognition, earning four stars.

“Street Fighter 6 corrects the flaws of its predecessor while propelling the renowned fighting game franchise into the modern era,” wrote Wesley Yin-Poole in Eurogamer’s Street Fighter 6 review. “Street Fighter 6 delivers what fans could hope for… It is inviting, innovative, and forward-thinking. It is engaging, entertaining, and extraordinary. And it is truly remarkable.”

Regarding the series’ trajectory, the formidable boxer Ed is slated to join the Street Fighter 6 roster later this month, on February 27th.