he Playstation Experience 2016 conference is going live December 3-4 and the hype train is in full effect. Big announcements for Triple A games such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Call of Duty Black Ops III will be featured alongside presentations for new tech such as the Playstation VR and the Playstation 4 Pro. But members of the FGC may deem these presentations an afterthought. Fighting games will be out in full force at the event, with big announcements ranging From King of Fighter 14’s graphical update, to the culmination of the Capcom Cup 2016 champion.
Capcom seems to be holding nothing back for this celebration of all things Playstation. The much anticipated Capcom Cup 2016 will start Friday, December 3 at the Esports Arena in Santa Ana, CA. 32 Top 8 matches will culminate the next day at the Playstation Experience event, with the final Top 8 battle crowning the victors of the $350,000+ in prizes and the crown of Street Fighter V World Champion! With coverage on ESPN2, and top names like RZR Infiltration (Street Fighter V Evo 2016 winner) and Daigo “The Beast” Umehara competing in the event, Capcom Cup is looking to rival EVO 2016 as the definitive Street Fighter V tournament.
Along with Capcom Cup, there are rumors galore regarding the future of Street Fighter V, as well as other Capcom Fighting games. The addition of new characters brings the most hype to any fighting game, and the rumors of Akuma’s playability at Capcom Cup has fans excited. But could this rumor be a ruse? Capcom’s own Yoshinori Ono has gone on record saying that Akuma was never actuallymentioned in prior trailers, trying to temper expectations. Yet, the hype has only grown into even bigger rumors of an entire Season 2 reveal for Street Fighter V, as well as theories that the character to be mentioned isn’t actually Akuma, but his dead master, Goutetsu!
Speaking of massive rumors, the Marvel Vs. Capcom 4 rumors are spreading like a California forest fire. While originally written off as a hoax, reputable game sites such as Polygon and Gamespot have gone on record confirming a 2017 release date for the much anticipated title. Will it be devoid of X-Men and Fantastic Four characters due to Fox Studios control over these characters? Will Marvel want to focus on its cinematic characters, opening the door for additions such as Daredevil, the Scarlet Witch, and Groot? Can we finally see Scrooge McDuck in a Marvel VS Capcom game??
Sony has to be excited for this weekend’s event. They have created a verve by simply letting the community run wild with anticipation for what could happen. Playstation Experience is shaping up to be an amazing show, and fighting games are a major reason for the hype.
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