With COVID cases on the rise across the globe, Capcom was forced to cancel Capcom Cup 2020 for the safety of its fans, players and community. In its place, Capcom will be producing an online-only Season Final.
Taking place at 4:00 PST on February 20 – 21 on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook the Capcom Pro Tour 2020 Season Final will consist of a series of prize fights among the 20 players that qualified for Capcom Cup 2020, as well as four invitees.
The Season Final pits players that hail from the same region against each other for two days of 12 separate fights. Some of the CPT’s biggest names are taking part, including the likes of the UAE’s Big Bird, 2019 Capcom Cup champion iDom, and, of course, the legendary Daigo Umehara.
Day 1 will feature fights between:
Cody main Rumours took the CPTO Australia Qualifier over M. Bison player Somniac in November, cementing his place in CPT history as Capcom Cup’s first-ever qualifying Australian competitor. It wasn’t a breeze, though; Somniac reset the Grand Finals bracket against Rumours in a shocking 3-0 run, causing Rumours to adapt his gameplay in a big way to take the win. The two will be facing off once again for a long-awaited rematch in February – and considering how nail-biting their last bout was, their runback is bound to be a treat!
Jiewa vs Vxbao (China)
Longtime Street Fighter competitor Jiewa is making an appearance at the Season Final alongside Vxbao, who he defeated to win the CPTO China Qualifier. Using a combo of Poison and Akuma, Jiewa – who also qualified for Capcom Cup 2015 – beat out boss-heavy player Vxbao in a stunning 3-0 run. We’ll have to see if Vxbao can bring the heat in their Capcom Cup rematch!
Pikoro vs Ja_lexe (South America)
Peruvian Bison main Pikoro scored a spot in Capcom Cup after taking the South America 1 Qualifier against Wellington2’s Balrog – but for the Finals, he’ll be facing off against Rashid main Jah_lexe, who took South America 2. These two aren’t new to each other, though; they duked it out in the Qualifier’s Losers’ Final, and while Pikoro came out on top, it was a close match, making for an intriguing matchup come time for Capcom Cup.
Luffy vs Phenom (Community vote vs EU)
French Mika main Luffy won the community vote featuring players who qualified in 2019 which locked him for 2020. Boasting an impressive history in competitive Street Fighter, Luffy will be facing off with Phenom, a fellow European SFV pro who won the Europe & Middle East 1 Qualifier. It’s a high-profile Mika vs Karin matchup – but there’s a chance fans might see Phenom’s Necalli come out to play, should things get too heated!
DR Mandrake vs CJ Truth (NA East)
The East Coast’s Dr Mandrake chariot-tackled his way into Capcom Cup by taking the North America East 1 Qualifier over Vega main MetroM earlier last year. However, Mandrake will be throwing down with notable Cammy player CJ Truth come February – a young blood who finished best overall at North America East 1 and 2. This fight between two of the East Coast’s top players is one that fans won’t want to miss out on!
The Street Fighter League’s Nephew and Samurai are taking their Team Alpha 3 vs Team NASR rivalry to the virtual Season Final stage. Having shown out in the team-based series for several seasons, Kolin main Nephew and Akuma player Samurai are bringing the League’s flair to the Final event of the CPTO – and there’s no telling if Nephew’s icy Illuminati prowess will beat out Samurai’s fiery Dark Hadou!
Day 2 will feature fights between:
Caba vs MenaRD (Central America)
Comrades from the Dominican Republic are set to face off in a prize fight that Street Fighter V fans won’t want to miss! Guile player Caba, who came in 9th during Capcom Cup 2018, and Birdie main MenaRD – the 2017 Capcom Cup champion – promise to put on an impressive show for the final event of the 2020 season. As two of their region’s top competitors, this is one match that’s bound to be a Sonic Boom-slinging, banana-flinging good time!
AngryBird vs Big Bird (EU & Mid East)
The Middle East’s top SFV talent is coming out to play for an electrifying match to close out the 2020 season. Multi-character pro AngryBird, who won the East Europe & Middle East Qualifier, is set to face off against dedicated Rashid main Big Bird, who has racked up an impressive CPT resume and even scored the status of EVO runner-up. Will Big Bird’s Rashid take the win, or will AngryBird’s character versatility prove to be the better strategy?
Longtime Street Fighter pro Xian and Seth-wielding warrior SKZ both qualified for Capcom Cup by taking Asia South East Qualifiers 1 & 2. It’s worth noting that SKZ also won the Asia South East 1 Online event in 2017; with Xian’s Ibuki prowess and vast tournament experience against SKZ’s dexterity in online environments, this matchup is sure to prove an interesting one!
Takamura vs Infexious (EU West)
The UK’s Infexious earned his spot in Season Final by winning the Europe West 2 Qualifier, but that’s far from the only victory on his resume; best known for his outstanding Zeku play, this fighter is not to be underestimated, having scored 3rd in EVO 2019 and 13th at last year’s Capcom Cup. Belgium’s Takamura is slated as his opponent, who took the Europe West 1 Qualifier using Akuma in a gripping 3-2 showing. These two giants are sure to put on a good battle – and there’s always the chance that Infexious might pull out his pocket Kage if things get heated.
Beasts from the East Coast are sending off the 2020 season in style with this star-studded matchup! Capcom Cup 2019 champion iDom is set to face off against North America East 2 winner Smug in a fight that promises to be a nail-biter. With both pros having solid secondary characters and an impressive history of tournament victories between them, it’s safe to say that this is one battle that could go any direction.
The legendary Daigo Umehara and Capcom Cup 2018 champ Gachikun are set to throw down in the final set of Capcom Cup 2020. Using Guile as his main character throughout SFV’s lifetime, Daigo has maintained his legacy as one of the series’ greatest players – and when paired with Gachikun’s powerful, rushdown-style Rashid, the fight between these two is definitely going to be worth watching for viewers of old-school and new-school Street Fighter, alike.
With so many high-profile matches coming up on the fight card, there’s a battle for every Street Fighter V fan to enjoy. Mark your calendars and pull up the stream – Capcom Pro Tour 2020 Season Final streams at 4:00 PST on February 20 – 21 on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook.