The "Capcom Cup 2016" finals crowned the first "Street Fighter V" world champion at the Anaheim Convention Center. Some top-seeded crowd favorites that entered that tournament were surprisingly eliminated without even winning a single set. This year also marks the first time that two players from the USA are in the winner's bracket.
The top 8 matches were held together with the "Playstation Experience 2016" in the same venue. Fighting game news site Shoryuken mentions that the "Street Fighter V" tournament champion took home around a hefty $230,000 prize. The "Capcom Cup 2016" tournament started with 8 players qualifying from the 32 entrants. Winner's side had MOV (Chun-Li) going up against Liquid/KnuckleDu (Guile, R. Mika), while EG/Ricki Ortiz (Chun-Li) matched up with YOUDEAL.MJS/Haitani (Necalli). Loser's bracket pitted RZR/Fuudo (R. Mika) against YOUDEAL/Yukadon (Nash), then GGP/Kazunoko (Cammy) versus CYCLOPS/GO1 (Chun-Li).
This was one of the first "Street Fighter V" tournaments where multiple Chun-Li players made their presence felt. It was reported that many players ranked the character as top-tier, but the lack of Chun-Li players placing high in tournaments appear to say different, leading fans to believe that she was just an overhyped character. Her presence in the "Capcom Cup 2016" top 8 matches seems to back-up the former claim though. Each of the players who qualified are known for their high-level play, giving spectators great show. The finals led to an all-American showdown between Liquid/KnuckleDu and EG/Ricki Ortiz. KnuckleDu initially sent Ricki to the loser's side where she fought her way back to the finals. However, KnuckleDu eventually dismantled her Chun-Li to win the tournament.
The "Capcom Cup 2016" tournament also shared some news and updates regarding its 2017 season DLC characters. They have confirmed that Akuma is coming to "Street Fighter V" on Dec. 20, 2016. During the closing ceremonies, Capcom's Yoshinori Ono also added that the five upcoming DLC characters will be new to the "Street Fighter" universe.
