Red Bull revealed today that this year’s Capcom Pro Tour North American Finals will be from November 18-November 19 in Boston. Players will compete in Street Fighter V, the 2016 installment in the iconic fighting game series.
The event will start with a 512-player open bracket tournament to qualify for the grand finals on the second day. Players who will participate in the qualifiers are champions from regional events, as well as the top amateur players from the online Red Bull Proving Grounds tournament earlier this year. One winner from the qualifier will move on to the grand finals, where they will compete against the top 7 regional champions. Whoever wins the grand finals will earn a spot in the Capcom Cup 2017 later this year. The eight of the finalists will split around $30,000 in prize money.
This year’s finals coincide with Street Fighter’s 30-year anniversary. Red Bull announced it as a part of a Capcom panel at this year’s Evolution Championship Series, the biggest esports event dedicated solely to fighting games.
Fighting games are battling for a share of the esports market, which market analyst Newzoo predicts will grow to $696 million this year. Newer titles have already started their own competitions, like Injustice 2 (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), which announced earlier this year a Championship Series with a $600,000 prize pool.
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In comparison, Street Fighter V seems like small fish, but it still has a loyal following. According to video game news site Polygon, Street Fighter V was still the most popular game by far at last year’s Evo, which drew more than 14,000 registered fighters. Over 5,000 players registered for Street Fighter V, followed next by Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at 2,637.
