Beginning December 11, Capcom will implement ads, or “sponsored content,” into Street Fighter V’s Arcade Edition. The ads will market the same game’s costumes, bundles for sale, and the pro league, which is called the Capcom Pro Tour. The ads will appear in costume styles, some stages, and during pre-fight loading screens. Here was the announcement from the developers:
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition is a version of the game being sold that includes: all content from the base game, the Arcade Mode, and Character Pass 1 and 2 codes that will also bring with it about a dozen premium costumes. Owners of the game will have received this content as a free update. While ads are being introduced, players do have the option to switch the “sponsored content” completely off. However, doing so will make those players lose out on some extras. Additional Fight Money and other opportunities to claim certain costumes will be unavailable once ads are willingly removed.
Fight Money is an in-game currency for Street Fighter V that can be purchased with real money or it can be earned by completing certain stages. The in-game currency can be used to buy more stages, limited-time aesthetics, and new characters. The format of the ads is in the form of character costumes; each character will have an “ad style” and whatever is being advertised at that time will show on that particular costume.
Players will no doubt be annoyed at the subtle advertisements placed in these areas of the game along with the fact that removing featured ads, even for the same game’s purchasable items, is forcing them to miss out of some content. After all, it is an entire game that they have already paid for. Street Fighter V will be running a free trial on the Steam Store and PlayStation 4 on the same day that these ads are introduced: December 11, 2018.