Thousands of players around the world have participated in the Capcom Pro Tour this year to earn one of just 32 qualifying spots to compete Capcom Cup 2019. At this year’s season finale a prize pool of $250,000 (not including the CPT 2019 DLC prize pool bonus) will be up for grabs as well as the chance to be crowned the Capcom Cup 2019 Champion! This post will give a brief overview of the 31 players of Capcom Cup 2019 who are currently qualified. The final spot will be filled by the winner of the Last Chance Qualifier that will be held at Capcom Cup 2019, which will be held next weekend on December 13th through 15th!
As you would expect, Capcom Cup 2019 will feature many of the best players in the world. Here are just a few stats to highlight the level of competition that will be present:
Four of the six previous Capcom Cup Champions will be competing at Capcom Cup 2019:
In addition, eight of the last 9 EVO Champions will be competing (only Korea’s Infiltration, won in 2012 and 2016, will not be attending):
- 2009 – 2010 – CYG BST|Daigo “The Beast”
- 2011 – CYG BST|Fuudo
- 2013 – RAZER|Xian
- 2014 – GO.RB|Luffy
- 2015 – VICTRIX|Momochi
- 2017 – ROHTO Z!|Tokido
- 2018 – MOUSESPORTS|Problem X
- 2019 – RED BULL Hx|Bonchan
Now, here is a brief rundown of all 31 players who are currently qualified for Capcom Cup 2019! We begin with the Capcom Cup 2019 Champion then order the remaining players by their points on the Global Leaderboard.
The Players of Capcom Cup 2019
Capcom Cup 2019 Champion
RED BULL|Gachikun – Kanamori Tsunehiro (Japan)
Character(s): Rashid
Points: 1,230
Bio:
The reigning Capcom Cup Champion from last season, RED BULL|Gachikun returns to defend his title! As last year’s Champion he started this season qualified for Capcom Cup but he certainly didn’t rest on his laurels. He has four top 8 finishes at Premier Events this season including 4th place at the Asia Super Premier event in mid-September. He has earned well over 1,000 CPT points this season. Can Gachikun, with his Rashid, be the first back-to-back Capcom Cup Champion?
Players Ranked by Points on Global Leaderboard
RECIPROCITY|Punk – Victor Woodley (USA)
Character(s): Karin, Kolin, Cammy, Chun-Li, Lucia, and many others.
Points: 4,815
Bio:
The 4,815 CPT points he has earned on the Global Leaderboard illustrates the crushing dominance REC|Punk has established this season. What makes this score even more impressive is that he didn’t get one big bump of points by winning a Super Premier. This season he has won five of this season’s Premier Events and got 2nd place at two others! He has also won three Ranking Events. What makes Punk so dangerous is his absolute confidence in his abilities. It also helps that he can play a large number of characters at the highest levels.
RED BULL Hx|Bonchan – Masato Takahashi (Japan)
Character(s): Karin, Sagat, Nash, Ryu
Points: 4,045
Bio:
Japan’s RED BULL Hx|Bonchan has enjoyed the best season of his CPT career in 2019 eclipsing his next best year in CPT points several times over. He is the 2019 Evo Champion, which alone is a tremendous achievement. In addition, he also took 4th at another Super Premier, the NA Regional Finals, and has won 3 further Premier Events. After searching for a main character in the first few years of the Street Fighter 5 era he seems to have found his match in Karin. He is also known to bring out his Sagat in certain situations, the character he was most associated with in prior versions of the game.
ROHTO Z!|Tokido – Hajime Taniguchi (Japan)
Character(s): Akuma
Points: 3,225
Bio:
ROHTO Z!|Tokido is a legendary player with a long and storied career. He is one of the “Five Gods” of Japanese Street Fighter with a legacy of winning spanning multiple iterations of the game. He is sometimes playfully referred to by the nickname “Murder Face” due to the look of absolute seriousness on his face when competing. He has made it to Capcom Cup every season since its inception with this being his sixth appearance. His Akuma is the stuff of legend to match his storied career.
CYG BST|Fuudo – Keita Ai (Japan)
Character(s): Birdie, R.Mika
Points: 2,370
Bio:
Japan’s CYG BST|Fuudo is one of a few players who have earned a spot at every Capcom Cup to date and this will be his sixth appearance. It’s been another fantastic year for Fuudo, having won the SEA Major 2019 Premier in mid-October and making top 8 in seven other Premier Events! The Evo 2011 Champion is one of the world’s best R.Mika players but now he has added Birdie to his arsenal, making him even more versatile.
TALON|HotDog29 – Yeh Man Ho (Hong Kong)
Character(s): M.Bison
Points: 2,150
Bio:
In previous seasons TALON|HotDog29 mostly competed in local events but this season he has decided to travel more and it has paid off tremendously! With his fearsome M.Bison he has earned 2,150 CPT points with wins at the North America Regional Finals Super Premier and the PPL Fighter Masters Premier Events. He has several other top 8 placements to his credit and placed just outside of top 16 at Evo 2019. He’s a newcomer to the world stage at Capcom Cup but he’s earned his place among the league’s elite this season.
FUDOH|Fujimura – Fujimura Atsushi (Japan)
Character(s): Ibuki
Points: 2,145
Bio:
This will be FUDOH|Fujimura’s fourth straight Capcom Cup appearance after another great season in 2019. At each of those prior Capcom Cup appearances he has placed top 8 (3rd in 2018, 5th in 2017 and 7th in 2016). His standings accomplishments this season include two Premier Event wins and a further four Premier top 8s as well as two Ranking Event wins. He also took 4th place at EVO 2019. He’s found incredible success with his Ibuki after using Nash early in the Street Fighter 5 era. He has a track record of doing well at Capcom Cup and his placements have improved each year. Will this be the year he wins it all?
NASR|Big Bird – Adel Anouche (United Arab Emirates)
Character(s): Rashid
Points: 1,955
Bio:
NASR|Big Bird from the United Arab Emirates is heading to Capcom Cup once again. This will be his third straight appearance at the CPT finale. This season his impressive standings accomplishments include 2nd place at Evo 2019, winning both the Open Tournament and the Regional Final at the EGX – European Regional Finals and two Ranking Event wins among others. Big Bird made a character switch from Ken to Rashid in recent years. Both characters suite his playstyle of not being afraid to take big risks to get big rewards.
MOUSESPORTS|Problem X – Benjamin Simon (United Kingdom)
Character(s): M.Bison, Abigail, Birdie, Alex
Points: 1,955
Bio:
The United Kindom turns out a lot of great players and MOUSESPORTS|Problem X is one of the best. This is his fourth Capcom Cup appearance after yet another stellar season. Problem X took 3rd place at the North America Regional Finals Super Premier and has two other top 8 placements at Premier Events. He also has 3 Ranking Event wins and several other high placements. In addition to his M.Bison, certainly among the world’s best, are several other secondary characters from which to choose from. This versatility gives Problem X the ability to choose a character based on the match-up or to change characters if needed.
VICTRIX|Momochi – Yusuke Momochi (Japan)
Character(s): Zeku, Kolin, Ken, Karin
Points: 1,650
Bio:
VICTRIX|Momochi is the Capcom Cup 2014 Champion with nerves of steel. He always seems calm and collected no matter the situation. Once again, he’s having an incredible season and will make it to Capcom Cup for the sixth consecutive year. Momochi took 1st place at the Asia Premier Super Premier in mid-September and took 9th place at Evo 2019. He also got 2nd place at the Final Round Premier at the start of the season. Momochi has been using the versitile but still somewhat rarely seen Zeku recently but also has several other strong characters at his disposal as well including Kolin.
NVD|Phenom – Arman Rabiee Hanjani (Norway)
Character(s): Karin, Necalli
Points: 1,555
Bio:
This will be the fourth Capcom Cup appearance for Norway’s NVD|Phenom. Among his accomplishments this season are a 2nd place finish at EGX – European Regional Final and Game Over Premier Events. He earned a 9th place at Evo 2019 and has won a Ranking Event, among other placements. Phenom is a fierce competitor who has been adding main characters as time goes on. As a result he is incredibly strong with several characters including Necalli, Karin and M.Bison. Phenom will be a formidable opponent at Capcom Cup!
NuckleDu – Du Dang (USA)
Character(s): Guile, R.Mika, G, Cammy, Nash
Points: 1,485
Bio:
NuckleDu is the Capcom Cup 2016 Champion and is one of the USA’s consistently best players. As you might expect from a player of his caliber, he’s had a great season and will be returning for his fifth Capcom Cup appearance. Among his standout achievements this season is a 2nd place finish at the North American Regional Finals Super Premier and a 3rd place at the First Attack 2019 Premier Event. He’s also won a Ranking Event and has several other high placements in both Premier and Ranking Events. NuckleDu has several characters he can play at top level including R.Mika, Guile, G and Cammy.
UYU|Oil King – Li-Wei Lin (Taiwan)
Character(s): Rashid
Points: 1,465
Bio:
In 2016 UYU|Oil King started traveling to CPT tournaments and he hasn’t looked back since, earning his way to his fourth Capcom Cup! He’s competed in most of this season’s Super Premier and Premier Events and has an impressive list of achievements to his credit. He has earned 2nd place at Canada Cup and has earned top 8 spots at a further three Premier Events. Oil King’s Rashid play is spectacular and aggressive with lots of offense and mix-ups to keep opponent’s guessing.
RAZER|Xian – Kun Xian Ho (Singapore)
Character(s): Ibuki
Points: 1,280
Bio:
Ibuki was a character seldom seen in high level play until RAZER|Xian made a big impression at Final Round last year. He started a revolution and now Ibuki is seen as a high-level character and is seen regularly in big events. Xian is another Capcom Cup veteran who has competed in every one since it’s inception. He’s also the Evo 2013 Champion. Xian has finished 3rd in two Premier Events this season and has made top 8 in two others. He also has a Ranking Event win among other placements. Xian started the Ibuki revolution and we shall see if he can use the character to become Capcom Cup Champion.
Mago – Kenryo Hayashi (Japan)
Character(s): Karin, Cammy
Points: 1,235
Bio:
Mago is a Japanese Street Fighter legend born of the country’s arcade scene where he was once known as Mago “2DGod”. This is Mago’s fifth straight Capcom Cup appearance. This season’s accomplishments include a 2nd place finish at the Asia Premier Super Premier, a 3rd place finish at the PPL Fighter Masters Premier Event and two 4th place finishes at Premiers. Mago’s two main characters, Karin and Cammy, are some of the most dangerous in the game and are even more so in his skilled hands.
YOG|Machabo – Masahiro Tominaga (Japan)
Character(s): Necalli
Points: 1,220
Bio:
In previous years YOG|Machabo only competed in a few events but this year he traveled a lot, competing around the world. He had a great season and was rewarded by earning enough points to qualify for Capcom Cup! Among his standings achievements are a 5th place finish at Evo 2019, three 3rd place finishes at Premier Events and a Ranking Event win. He plays Necalli aggressively, which makes him fun to watch!
NASR|AngryBird – Amjad Alshalabi (United Arab Emirates)
Character(s): Zeku
Points: 1,195
Bio:
Last season NASR|AngryBird began competing in CPT events around the world and earned a trip to Capcom Cup. This season was his best yet by far, earning almost 1,200 CPT points in total. Some of his standout placements include a 3rd place finish at the Asia Premier Super Premier, a 3rd and 4th place finish at two Premier Events, and a Ranking Event win among other placements. AngryBird is one of the few players who uses Zeku as his main character and it will be exciting to see how far the character takes him at Capcom Cup.
LIQUID|John Takeuchi – Takeuchi Ryota (Japan)
Character(s): Rashid
Points: 1,110
Bio:
Japan’s LIQUID|John Takeuchi had his best season to date in 2019 and it has earned him a trip to Capcom Cup! Just some of his standings highlights include two 9th place finishes at Super Premier events, and three top 8 finishes at Premier Events. He also has many other high finishes at Premier and Ranking Events. John Takeuchi is a character specialist who uses Rashid at a high level. His Super Premier performances show that he can stand up under high pressure situations at big events so he will be exciting to see if he can make it to the top at the CPT finale.
CYCLOPS|Dogura – Ryo Nozaki (Japan)
Character(s): M.Bison, Urien
Points: 1,065
Bio:
In 2017 CYCLOPS|Dogura made it to his first Capcom Cup. He didn’t quite make it last season but he’s back again in 2019! He’s had his best season so far this year with five top 8 finishes at Premier Events. His best placement of those was a 3rd place finish at Game Over in July. Dogura not only has an incredibly strong M.Bison but he also has Urien in his pocket.
LIQUID|Nemo – Naoki Nemoto (Japan)
Character(s): Urien, Vega
Points: 1,055
Bio:
LIQUID|Nemo from Japan is heading to his fourth Capcom Cup appearance this year. Just a few of his standings accomplisments this season include a 7th place finish at the North American Regional Finals Super Premier, a top 8 finish at a Premier Events and two Ranking Event wins among other placements. Nemo has always been fun to watch as his execution level is off the charts and he tends to play very aggressively. This style fits perfectly with his current main character, Urien. Nemo got 3rd place at Capcom Cup 2017. Tune in to see if he can make it all the way to the top in 2019!
CYG BST|Infexious – DC Coleman (United Kingdom)
Character(s): Zeku, Necalli, Zangief
Points: 1,055
Bio:
Over the last few years CYG BST|Infexious has been competing in more and more CPT events and has increased the number of events he’s traveled to outside of his region. He’s still competing in a lot of European events and obviously doing quite well, earning over 1,000 CPT points this season. This is the first year he’ll be attending Capcom Cup. This season he took 13th at the North American Regional Finals Super Premier and made top 8 at two other Premier Events with his best performance being 2nd place at VSFighting in late July. He also has a Ranking Event win. Infexious plays the tricky Zeku but also has several secondary characters he can bring out if needed.
FAV|Sako – Naoto Sako (Japan)
Character(s): Menat, Akuma, Chun-Li
Points: 1,015
Bio:
FAV|Sako is one of the “Five Gods” of Japanese Street Fighter with a long legacy of winning at the game across multiple eras. Over the course of Street Fighter 5 he has changed main characters several times but seems to have found a good match in Menat, who can attack opponents from great range and inflict damage with big combos up close with enough meter. This is Sako’s fourth Capcom Cup appearance in a row. Some of his standings highlights include 7th place finish at the North America Regional Finals Super Premier and top 8 finishes at four Premier Events. He has a lot of other placements as well, as Sako was very busy this season.
UYU|NL – Sim Gun (Korea)
Character(s): Akuma, Cammy
Points: 1,000
Bio:
Like many players from Asia, Korea’s UYU|NL focused his efforts on Premier and Super Premier events and it has paid off with his second Capcom Cup appearance. NL has three top 8 finishes at Premier Events this season with his best being 2nd place at Celtic Throwdown in early August. He’s competed in most of the big events, however, so he has a lot of other impressive placements as well giving him a cool 1,000 CPT points as a result. NL plays Akuma as his main character but also has an impressive Cammy in case he needs to change.
CYG BST|Daigo – Daigo Umehara (Japan)
Character(s): Guile, Ryu
Points: 975
Bio:
CYG BST|Daigo, also known as “The Beast”, is one of the most decorated players in Street Fighter history. He holds a Guinness World Record for being the most successful player in major Street Fighter tournaments and is one of the “5 Gods” of Japanese Street Fighter. He’s recently written a book called “The Will to Keep Winning” and has won several EVO Championships including 2009 and 2010 for Street Fighter 4. He’s a stoic, consummate professional player who rarely shows emotion during a match and has skills honed over decades of competition. He’s a pillar of the fighting game community as well. After taking 2nd place at Capcom Cup 2016 he donated his winnings to the EVO Scholarship Fund to give back to the community which had done so much for him. As you might expect, he’s made it to every Capcom Cup since it’s inception. This season he has four top 8 finishes at Premier Events with his best being 2nd place at The Mixup in April.
SONICBOXX|801 Strider – Gustavo Romero (USA)
Character(s): G, Laura
Points: 970
Bio:
USA’s SONICBOXX|801 Strider made it to Capcom Cup for the first time in 2015, the last season for Street Fighter 4, with his Abel. He would make an appearance again in 2017 for Street Fighter 5 playing Laura, a character that’s heavy on mix-ups just like Abel. For 2019 he returns once more this time with a new character, G, who has great offensive damage potential. This season he took 5th place at the North American Regional Finals Super Premier and three Ranking Event wins. With G at his side and Laura for support, 801 Strider will be a tough opponent.
iDom – Derek Ruffin (USA)
Character(s): Laura
Points: 935
Bio:
iDom is a Laura specialist who made a big splash this season with top 8 finishes at Evo 2019 and two Premier Events. He also has two Ranking Event wins to his credit. The last few years have been good for iDom with high placements at big events but this is the first year he’s made it to Capcom Cup. iDom’s Laura is fearsome and tricky to contend with.
UYU|JB – Jonathan Bautista (USA)
Character(s): Rashid
Points: 935
Bio:
This is UYU|JB’s first Capcom Cup appearance and it is well deserved after a great 2019 season. JB has two Premier Event top 8 finishes and a Ranking Event win, among other high finishes. JB is a Rashid character specialist and is one of the world’s best, with a keen sense for when to apply offensive pressure or to back off.
GO.RB|Luffy – Oliver Hay (France)
Character(s): R.Mika
Points: 905
Bio:
France’s GO.RB|Luffy dominated Europe in the Street Fighter 4 era with Rose culminating in his becoming Evo Champion in 2014. More players around Europe have risen to challenge that dominance during the Street Fighter 5 era but he hasn’t stopped winning. He has qualified for every Capcom Cup to date and keeps the streak alive this season, earning a spot as the CPT Europe Regional Finals Qualifier. Luffy is a R.Mika character specialist. This season’s best placements include 13th place at the Asia Premier Super Premier and two top 8 finishes at Premier Events.
AZ|Kichipa-mu – Hiroki Asano (Japan)
Character(s): Zangief
Points: 880
Bio:
Every good Capcom Cup needs a grappler player and AZ|Kichipa-mu’s Zangief is thrilling to watch. He has done some traveling in previous seasons but amped it up this year with great results. Kichipa-mu took 7th place at Evo 2019 and 9th place at the North American Regional Final Super Premier. If that wasn’t enough, he got two other Premier Event top 8 finishes to his credit as well. Kichipa-mu earned his spot as the CPT Asia Regional Finals Qualifier.
RISE|Smug – Bryant Huggins (USA)
Character(s): Balrog, G
Points: 685
Bio:
RISE|Smug is fun to watch not just because he plays two punishing characters but also because of his mannerisms and humorous banter with other players between matches. This is his second Capcom Cup appearance with his first being in 2017. This season Smug has two top 8 finishes at Premier Events as well as a Ranking Event win. He earned his spot this year as the CPT North America Regional Finals Qualifier. Smug plays Balrog and G, two characters who are able to put out tremendous damage lighting up the screen as they do so.
Zenith – Phael Maia (Brazil)
Character(s): Menat
Points: 330
Bio:
For the last two seasons, Brazil’s Zenith has mostly competed in more local CPT events aside from Evo. This season he earned his way to Capcom Cup by winning the LATAM Regional Finals at the First Attack Premier Event. He also has a Ranking Event win and a second place finish at another Ranking Event. Zenith came out on top against the LATAM region’s best at First Attack and now its time to shine on the world stage at Capcom Cup!
Last Competitor to be Determined at Capcom Cup 2019!
The rundown above is for the 31 players who have so far earned a spot at Capcom Cup 2019 but there is one more player yet to be determined! Capcom Cup 2019 will have a Last Chance Qualifier event that will give any player who is up for the challenge one more opportunity to earn a spot! The player that takes 1st place at the Last Chance Qualifier will be the 32nd player to take part in Capcom Cup 2019. Tune in to watch Capcom Cup 2019 to find out who will earn the opportunity to attend the Capcom Pro Tour finale!