Japan Continues to Dominate Street Fighter 6 Competition

Japan has once again proven why it stands as the strongest region for Street Fighter 6, and it shows the greatest potential for growth in the game.

The World Warrior program, which has already kicked off in other parts of the world, will see its first edition of the current Capcom Pro Tour season in Japan this month. Registration is closing soon, but so far the number of entrants has already surpassed the 2,000 mark, by far the highest turnout of any region.

When looking at the most attended Street Fighter 6 tournaments, EVO 2023 still leads the way with over 7,000 competitors. Right behind it is EVO Japan 2025, which drew just over 6,500 players. This is especially remarkable because tournament numbers typically decline over time. Instead, EVO Japan has shown the opposite trend: EVO Japan 2024 brought in just over 5,000 entrants, while this year’s edition climbed past 6,000, highlighting clear growth and sustained interest.

By comparison, most other regions only manage hundreds of entrants. For scale, the largest World Warrior event outside of Japan is believed to be the CPT 2025 World Warrior tournament for US/Canada East, which had close to 400 sign-ups.

Japan’s first World Warrior event takes place on September 7, with the second scheduled for October 5, 2025.

This surge in popularity has also sparked conversation around Japan’s designation within the Capcom Pro Tour. Currently, Japan is classified as a “super region,” meaning it receives two qualifying spots at Capcom Cup, alongside China, Asia East, and the UK/Ireland. However, given the staggering participation numbers, some are now questioning whether Japan deserves an even higher classification, potentially with additional qualifying slots.

Whatever the outcome, the overwhelming enthusiasm for Street Fighter 6 in Japan is a positive sign for the game’s competitive future and a spectacle for the global FGC to watch.