The last Street Fighter 6 beta may have ended last December, but there are some players who have managed to access core features from the test even after the servers shut down. However, after a recent surge in awareness surrounding the hacked beta client, Capcom is cracking down on anyone who uses it by putting a potential competitive ban on the table.
Capcom issued an April 28 statement defining access to the SF6 closed beta test as a breach of the game’s terms of service, with anyone found guilty of accessing the beta branch facing bans. Players would also be classed as ineligible for the Capcom Pro Tour, thus outlawing players from the competitive circuit.
Moving forward, any player that is found to be guilty of accessing the SF6 beta software through any unauthorized means will be unable to compete in the upcoming CPT season, set to begin in June 2023. Bans will also be extended to cover the next Street Fighter League season, ruling convicted parties out of competitive Street Fighter entirely.
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This decision may have come too late for some users as the cracked version of the beta currently in use has been floating around since the last closed test ended on Dec. 19. However, Capcom is likely actioning these bans now following recent publicity surrounding the software, with pro players Momochi, Justin Wong, and others discussing the legality of early SF6 practice through the use of the beta.
SF6 has a demo available on all platforms that the game will release on, but it does not include all of the content that was in the beta. Luke and Ryu are the only characters you can play as or against and there is no proper training mode. As a result, anyone who wanted early practice would much prefer to use the December 2022 beta version of the game, which did have a training mode and eight different characters.
Most players responded positively to this announcement, but are now wondering why it took Capcom so long to take action and what the developer will use as “clear evidence” if and when players are banned for using the software—along with how a potential appeal process could work.
Others on social media took a lighter approach to Capcom’s statement.
Outside of the community snitching on players believed to be guilty, Capcom will need to clarify its approach to these bans and any processes behind them once investigations begin. For now, it looks like this is an open warning to anyone who did use the beta to stop before the company really cracks down.
