Even though there are still quite a few vocal detractors about the world of professional gaming/ E-sports, the field has basically vanquished a majority of negative perspectives surrounding the gig and its practitioners. Instead of being seen as nerdy neckbeards without a job or life, Major League gamers are now viewed as nerdy neckbeards who've made video games both their life and livelihood. We are truly in a glorious time for the industry.
In addition to the sponsorships that professional gamers garner, one of the primary ways pro-E-sports players pay their bills is through earning prize money. In the fighting games sector of the E-sports world, the prize pools are decent but definitely modest compared to other genres. Hoping to give the hotly anticipated Street Fighter 6 an added bit of publicity, Capcom has decided to offer a whopping 2 million dollar prize pool for the game's official tournament, with the winner of the prestigious Capcom Cup walking away with a cool million.
A new era in fighting game competition begins in 2023, as Capcom is set to make Street Fighter 6 the exclusive game of its Capcom Pro Tour series. And the company is putting its money where its mouth is, backing the new game with a huge $2 million prize pool, a cool $1 million of which will go to the winner of the next Capcom Cup — the culminating event of the Pro Tour.
The announcement was made at the end of Capcom Cup IX on Sunday, Feb. 19. The last Cup to be fought in Street Fighter 5 was won by MenaRD, a.k.a. Saul Leonardo Mena Segundo from the Dominican Republic. The prize pool for the 2022 Pro Tour and Capcom Cup IX was just $300,000, which shows just how serious Capcom is about launching Street Fighter 6 with a splash on the esports scene. Though not that big by global esports standards — the 2021 Dota 2 International offered an astonishing $40 million prize pool — the $2 million reward Capcom is offering is massive for fighting games.
https://www.polygon.com/23607334/street-fighter-6-capcom-pro-tour-capcom-cup-prize-money
