Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2 just became legal for esports — here’s why other games should follow suit

You may be thinking that Street Fighter 6 becoming legal for esports on Switch 2 is not a big deal, but it very much is. Developed by Capcom and released in 2023 to critical acclaim, the sixth entry in the long-standing fighting series became a staple at esports events not long after it launched.

It was a welcome surprise when Capcom announced a Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 for the console’s launch on June 5, bringing the full game as well as the two season passes. But the game’s crossplay feature means that players can fight against others who play the game on PC, Sony PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. Some were wondering if the game would be allowed at esports events, like Capcom’s own World Tour, and this was confirmed just a week after the Switch 2 launch. Now that players can legally bring their Switch 2 to Capcom’s esports events and compete, we present the case for other games to follow suit.

On June 9, version 1.02 of the Capcom Pro Tour rules was published on its website, with section B.1 adding the Nintendo Switch 2 to the list of sanctioned devices to play Street Fighter 6 on at tournaments that Capcom allows. Having rules like this makes sense, as it means Capcom has control over where and when their games can be used at esports events worldwide, including their own. It also adds a sense of legitimacy to the category overall, showcasing how serious Capcom is about esports.

It’s no surprise that Street Fighter 6 is a demanding game, graphically. Its art style and fast-paced gameplay mean it uses plenty of the resources that PCs and current-gen consoles have. So much so, there have been reports of PlayStation 5 consoles overheating at some esports events when running Street Fighter 6. So, as the Switch 2 version is now legal for these tournaments, it makes sense, as there are many advantages this decision brings. This includes an easier way of simply setting up the console and competing quickly, compared to setting up a PlayStation 5 or a powerful PC. The game also runs just as well as its console counterparts on Nintendo’s console, meaning there’s no added latency or lag, ensuring the same experience.

When you combine these factors alongside the Switch 2 becoming the best-selling console of all time in just seven days since it launched, you can’t help but wonder that there’s a lot of potential to see other games follow Capcom’s lead in making more games legal on Switch 2.

Capcom itself has stated before that Street Fighter 6 was developed with esports in mind, so the news of making the game legal for esports on Switch 2 wasn’t a shock. But it means that players can bring the console to sanctioned esports tournaments instead of their bulky PCs or consoles.

Making a game ‘legal’ for esports can help give players, viewers, and esports organisers the reassurance that it can feature in tournaments without fear of it being exploited for cheating and players taking advantage of characters with overpowered moves that haven’t been patched at the time.

It also helps from a reputational standpoint, too. Let’s not forget that Street Fighter is a series that arguably defined the fighting genre as a whole when Street Fighter II debuted in arcades in 1991, followed by countless home ports and improvements for much of the 1990s. So it’s incredibly vital for Capcom to make sure that the latest game in the series meets fan expectations, but also can be played at sanctioned esports tournaments worldwide.

Although Capcom’s rules are unique to themselves, other developers like Bandai Namco with Tekken 8, or Valve with Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2, also have their own rules to make their games sanctioned for esports tournaments worldwide. However, while it would be better for a standard to be agreed on for everyone to follow the same rules, for now, it would be great for other developers to follow this lead, as a way of adding even more legitimacy to the esports scene.

In this respect, it would be great for several upcoming games to be declared ‘esports legal’ as soon as they’re released on respective platforms. The first is Virtua Fighter 6, currently in development with a tentative release date of 2026. Developer Sega has made no secret that it has the esports scene in mind with this upcoming title. In an interview with Japanese gaming site Famitsu and translated by Event Hubs, VF6 producer Riichirou Yamada revealed that there’s potential for the game to be popular with streamers and esports events. “It’s been three years since we launched the Virtua Fighter Esports initiative, and I think there’s lots more to do, including tournaments.” Also adding, “I think that Virtua Fighter was built upon ‘strong players’. It’s a title that shone because of these star players. We’d like to see those star players become popular streamers.”

Another to follow Capcom’s lead is Sparkball, a MOBA 4v4 brawler, currently available as a demo for PC. In our chat with developer Opti Games, CEO Chandler Thomlison confidently spoke about the game being tailored for esports events. “Our strength is that the game feels relatable, and any casual sports fan can quickly understand what’s going on. Combine that with the fast pace and short game times, I think we’re well-positioned to carve out our own early niche in the space as we grow.”

Ultimately, making more games ‘legal’ and eligible for esports events will make the category more appealing to casual and passionate fans. If upcoming games like Virtua Fighter 6 and Sparkball hit the ground running with their own rules, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them feature at some esports tournaments very soon.

Capcom set the stage for fighting games over 30 years ago with Street Fighter II, and now it’s doing something similar by establishing the legality of games being eligible at esports events worldwide. The company knows what it has with Street Fighter, despite bumps in the road with spin-offs like the Street Fighter EX series and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite.

If other developers follow Capcom’s lead, they could benefit greatly. Overall, adding games to a set of rules brings more legitimacy to esports. While a standardised set of rules would arguably be better for everyone, it’s a step in the right direction that Capcom knows how important it is to have these rules for its games, the Switch 2, and for it to thrive at esports tournaments around the world.