Capcom Cup is less than six weeks away! We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make it the grandest fighting game event of all time and to that end we are happy to announce the relaunch of CapcomCup.com! We will be updating the site with tournament brackets and more information as we get closer to the event, but to kick things off here are some excerpts from the player profiles which you can find on the site!
Ryan Hart – DIG|Prodigal Son (UK)
Ryan Hart is no stranger to the big stage. A veteran on the competitive scene and well versed in a variety of different games, Ryan has long been considered the best player in the UK. With an intelligent and fearless Sagat at his disposal, he’s been known to make devastating reads on his opponents and maybe even break out into a dance move or two afterwards. Prepare for barrages of Tiger Shots that set up his opponents for big uppercuts to the face, and himself for victory at Capcom Cup.
Eduardo Perez – EG|PR Balrog (USA)
One of the 4 members from Team EG represented at Capcom Cup, Eduardo burst on to the competitive scene during Street Fighter IV and is widely considered to be the strongest Balrog player in the world. While his affinity with the character is reflected in his handle “PR Balrog,” since the release of Ultra Street Fighter IV he has dabbled in a few other characters, most notably, Evil Ryu. Regardless of which character he chooses to go with at Capcom Cup, Eduardo’s hyper-aggressive beat down style will ensure that he shakes, shimmies, and flat-out knocks out all opponents he runs into on the stage.
Yusuke Momochi – EG|Momochi (JAPAN)
Normally a soft spoken and gentle looking person, no one puts on a more serious game face than Momochi when the matches begin. As a member of Team EG and one of the very first Japanese pro-gamers, Momochi has been through countless battles and tournaments across Japan and overseas, making him an accomplished player that no one should take lightly. With numerous characters in his bag of tricks, all played at the highest of levels, it will be exciting to see who he decides to use at Capcom Cup.
Seonwoo Lee – Infiltration (KOREA)
The Player of the Year in 2012 with victories at EVO 2012 and the SF25th Anniversary Series, Infiltration makes his return to the grand stage of Street Fighter IV after missing out at last year’s Capcom Cup. Best known for his technical and precise Akuma play, Infiltration surprised many this season with his mastery of a number of other characters as well. One thing is for sure: he will be a matchup nightmare for whoever is unfortunate enough to face him in the bracket.
Olivier Hay – MD|Luffy (FRANCE)
What does a person do once they’ve won EVO? Rest? Relax? Go fishing? Not in Luffy’s case. The spectacular Frenchman brought home the first EVO crown in French history this summer, but refused to rest on his laurels and instead embarked on a 5 month quest to absolutely DOMINATE the European Street Fighter scene. A one point, hardly a week passed by where Luffy wasn’t winning another stacked tournament. Even his long time rivals in the community have failed to take him down as of late, so Luffy enters Capcom Cup as the undeniable favorite to win the whole thing. Playing Rose to absolute perfection, expect to see the Soul Power on display as Luffy sets up for yet another trophy to add to his ever growing collection.
Valentin Petit – GL|Valmaster (FRANCE)
Although less known compared to Luffy, his fellow French countryman, Valmaster has proved that he has the skills necessary to take on the best the world has to offer. In fact, he qualified for Capcom Cup by defeating Luffy at the VSFighting 4 tournament held in the UK. With Chun-Li as his character of choice, he utilizes quick reactions and tight execution to rain down the damage on his opponents. With his talents on full display at the biggest stage, Capcom Cup will be the prime opportunity for Valmaster to step out of Luffy’s shadow and make his own mark on the world stage.
Darryl Lewis – SnakeEyez (USA)
The most feared player in the US scene today, Snake Eyez has taken Zangief to heights the character has never seen before, with a extremely patient approach that makes opponents feel like they are fighting against a moving brick wall. With a 4th place finish at EVO 2014, and victories at San Diego Comic-Con, The Fall Classic, and Wednesday Night Fights Season 3, Snake’s confidence is at an all time high leading into Capcom Cup. Look for him to get in and deliver the pain to all who stand in his way.
Hiroshi Nishikido – Nishikin (JAPAN)
“He won using who?”, was the biggest reaction to Nishikin’s victory at the Taito Arcade Nationals Singles competition in October. After all, absolutely no one would have expected that a Blanka, out of all characters, would have defeated the very best that Japan had to offer in their annual national tournament. This included an incredibly stacked road to victory which included defeating the likes of Kyabetsu (Japan’s best C.Viper player), Kazunoko (world’s best Yun player), and even fellow Capcom Cup participant, Bonchan. While people may overlook Blanka as weak character, Nishikin has demonstrated that looking past him will result in utter and complete defeat at the hands of the electric beast, and he’ll be looking to prove it once again at Capcom Cup.
Daigo Umehara – MCZ|Daigo (JAPAN)
“The Beast.” No other player possess a nickname that so perfectly encapsulates what makes them who they are. Simply put, Daigo is one of, if not THE greatest Street Fighter player of all times. Dating back to his early days with SFII, Alpha, coming all the way through SFIII, and into the modern age with SFIV, Daigo has been a champion every step of the way. His uncanny ability to read the mind of his opponents and immediately punish them with a Dragon Punch caused the term “Ume-Shoryu” to be coined, and strikes fear into all who are unfortunate enough to face him. With some in the community claiming a decline in his recent tournament performances, The Beast will be hungry to silence his detractors and claim victory at Capcom Cup.
Masato Takahashi – Bonchan (JAPAN)
One king to rule them all? Bonchan is undeniably, one of the strongest players in Japan and the world at this point in time. Following a 2nd place finish to Luffy at Evolution 2014, he posted a stellar record in all events afterwards, consistently competing for top placing at each one. Despite Bonchan’s extraordinary Sagat play however, he unfortunately finished 2nd place in more events than any other player this year, including at the Taito Arcade Nationals singles competition, where he lost to Nishikin. Will he be able to break free of the runner-up curse? Or will yet another Silver medal finish tarnish the reputation of the would-be Muay Thai king? Capcom Cup is where we will find out once and for all.
Kun Xian Ho – RZR|Xian (SINGAPORE)
The Singaporean execution master returns to Capcom Cup this year, hungry for redemption after falling to Sako in last year’s Grand Finals. Xian hit the CPT circuit hard in the second half of the year, traveling to nearly every single event in the Asia region, and a couple in the US as well. After taking Gen to gameplay levels previously unknown in 2013, Xian has added a few more characters to his stable of weapons, including a tricky Poison which he uses to frustrate and out-space his opponents. Xian will no doubt have some tricks up his sleeve as he attempts to claim the crown that eluded him last year.
Justin Wong – EG|Justin Wong (USA)
Justin Wong needs little introduction at this point in his career but it never hurts to remind people why he is one of the all-time greats in the fighting game scene. Amazingly inventive, adaptive, and most importantly clutch, Justin has always been a top player in any game he touches. With multiple EVO championships to his name and literally hundreds of 1st place finishes in a multitude of events worldwide, Justin will be looking to add Ultra Street Fighter IV to the list of games that he reaches the very top of. Get ready to “raise the roof” at Capcom Cup for this player and fan favorite.
Ricky Ortiz – EG|Ricky Ortiz (USA)
One of the most accomplished US fighting game players, next to her EG teammate Justin Wong, Ricky Ortiz is known for precise reads, patient spacing, and most notably, the ability to channel a passionate temper into astonishing gameplay. Ricky is one of the few players that actually players better when slightly aggravated by opponents, a trait that has lead to numerous comeback and WOW moments. Expect dive kick after dive kick, as Ricky puts the pressure on her opponent until they finally crack. Oh and a word of advice to anyone who runs into Ricky at Capcom Cup: whatever you do, do not stand up too early, or you will surely regret it.
Eric Moreira Silva – CNB|ChuChu (BRAZIL)
The true dark horse candidate of Capcom Cup. While relatively unknown to the general tournament community, ChuChu is a player that true fans of the tour have been keeping an eye on for some time. Hailing from Brazil, a country with a burgeoning Street Fighter scene, ChuChu is the lone representative from South America and will look to make a name for himself on the grandest of stages, proving to all once and for all that he has what it takes to compete with the best in the world.
Du Dang – NuckleDu (USA)
While being the youngest competitor in the field, NuckleDu has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to compete with the best players in the world. A master of charge characters, Du’s offensive Guile play catches many opponents off-guard, while the recent addition of a tricky Decapre has only added to his potent arsenal. As the only representative from the East Coast of the United States, look for Du to prove to the rest of the country, and the world, that their scene is just as strong as other areas.
Dreamhack Winter Winner
Who will claim the final ticket to Capcom Cup? Tune in to Dreamhack Winter from Nov 27~30, streamed live on twitch.tv/capcomfighters!
The Omega Mode Exhibition competitors have also been revealed so check out capcomcup.com for more information!
Thanks to Chris Bahn from putthatback.org for many of the pictures!