The PS4 version of Ultra Street Fighter IV was supposed to be the definitive version of the game, the one that would be played at all tournaments- so much so that Capcom and Sony had already announced that this would be the version that would be played at all tournaments going forward. However, in the wake of the terrible launch for the game, which we reported on yesterday, Capcom has gone ahead and withdrawn the PS4 version from the tournament circuit.
“For those experiencing issues and wondering about a patch, we are aware that you are experiencing problems with the PS4 version of USFIV, which was published and developed by SCEA’s Third Party Production group,” Capcom said in a statement. “SCEA and Capcom are currently looking into the issues that some users may be experiencing and are working to resolve them as quickly as possible. We will continue to provide updates on our progress.
“A lot of our more competitive players have wondered how the USFIV version of PS4 will affect them and the tour. To that we’d like to advise that the integrity of the Capcom Pro Tour is a top priority for us and we will continue to work with tournament organizers worldwide to ensure that the highest quality event will be run. Each region will maintain its current hardware standard for the remainder of the 2015 Capcom Pro Tour until otherwise announced. We will keep you updated as to when the PS4 version of USFIV will be integrated into the Pro Tour.”
What does this mean? Essentially, it means that each tournament will, for now, continue using the version of Ultra Street Fighter IV that it has been using so far. So if a tournament was using the Xbox 360 version, they will continue to use that. Tournaments using the PS3 version will use that one instead. Most tournaments use the Xbox 360 version, so we will probably see that one highlighted for the near future.
The lone standout so far is EVO, which has confirmed that it is assessing the situation, though given its statements yesterday, it is also likely to announce a switch soon- especially since, given Capcom’s wording of its statement, it can be implied that Capcom does not expect this port to be up to scratch until the Tournament circuit is over- which ios well after the end of this year.
We will keep you posted. Stay tuned.