The online component of Street Fighter V , Capcom Fighters Network will see some changes as part of an effort to improve overall experience.
The list of tweaks and changes were detailed on the Capcom Unity website and will be available for PC players to be beta test on March 28 at 1 PM PST/8 PM GMT until April 3 at 12 PM PST/8 PM GMT. The beta client will be available to Steam users and “completely free to play for both current and new players.”
“Since this beta is to test our new online infrastructure, it will only feature Online Modes,” Capcom explained. “The beta is entirely separate from the base PC client but players’ current CFN username, rank, standing and other details will carry over to the beta client.
“For new players, they will be able to download the PC client for free and set up a new CFN profile to play for the duration of the test. All data recorded during the beta is for testing purposes only and once the beta has concluded, all replays, Fight Money earned, progress and player data will be deleted. To encourage players to participate in the beta test, all released characters, including Kolin will be unlocked for play.”
Thsoe who participate in the beta will also get an opportunity to trial some of the balance adjustments made to Street Fighter 5 for its second season of content. Capcom has said once this beta period is finished, it plans to “make further adjustments to optimize the new CFN and make its full release on both PS4 and PC shortly after.”
Here is a list of changes come to the CFN, courtesy of Capcom.
- Rage Quit Penalty System: Back in December, we implemented an update to the Rage Quit System which displayed a special Player Profile Icon for the worst offenders and the most honorable players. These icons are working correctly now and matchmaking logic now takes into account your online behavior and frequent disconnectors will be matched with similar opponents.
- Ranked and Casual Match Loading Times: We understand many players were not happy with the load times when entering online matches. There will now be a shorter transition when going into a Ranked or Casual Match.
- Battle Lounge Country Flags: Country flags should now properly load in Battle Lounges, allowing players to locate competition in their region.
- Training Mode – User Settings Saved: Training Mode settings are now saved and will carry over to the next time the mode is accessed.
- Matchmaking Improvements: It should now take less time to find an opponent in online matches. We’ve also added logic which avoids frequently being matched with the same opponent repeatedly.
- Fighter Profile Stats: More detailed stats will be tracked and presented on your Fighter Profile.
- Country/League Based Rankings: Players will now be able to filter leaderboards based on Country or League.
- Friend Management System: In addition to adding a player to your Favorites, you can now add Friends and follow them on CFN. You can now also Blacklist players.
- Interactive Timeline: On the CFN home menu, a live feed of your Friends’ activities is presented on an interactive Timeline. Using the Timeline, you can immediately add a recent match to your Replay List, view a Fighter Profile, manage your Friends, and adjust Timeline display settings.
- In-Game Announcer Voice: The in-game announcer will give you stats on both you and your opponent using data pulled from the server.
“We understand that Street Fighter 5’s server performance has been a less than optimal experience for many of our players,” reads a statement posted alongside the CFN changes announcement. “The improved CFN experience is the result of rebuilding it from the ground up to address the most pressing issues that will ultimately result in a better online experience.
“The new CFN server updates mark a new beginning for playing SF5 online and we encourage our players to participate in the PC Beta Test to see what improvements we have in store.”
