Capcom Launches “Netcode Fix” for Street Fighter V – Breaks Mods

The Street Fighter community has been eagerly awaiting a fix to the game’s netcode after an ambitious couple of modders managed to deliver a patch that made the game playable online.

However, Capcom just released a patch that not only disabled those patches, but did not implement the fixes that were discovered by the community. SFV game director Yoshinori Ono made an announcement to the waiting masses.

We hope you're enjoying #SFVCE and thank you for all the support!A netcode adjustment has been made to the game and is available now for all players.We ask that you send your feedback to @SFVServer. Please enjoy and look forward to #CPT2020 #SFL2020 #IntelWorldOpen starting soon! pic.twitter.com/r6DirOrqUn

— Yoshinori Ono (@Yoshi_OnoChin) February 19, 2020

For those that doubt whether Capcom would actually be silly enough to do so, a quick look at stream archives from players playing SFV online right now is enough to see that things have not changed. Street Fighter V has been notorious for “teleporting” opponents. This occurs when the game’s delay-based netcode does not sync up properly between clients.

This is especially egregious because Capcom announced “adjustments” to the game’s netcode last week. The community gave thunderous approval as they’ve been disappointed with the game’s netcode. Due to the issues, things like online cups have been deemed unfit for competitive play.

The community is not taking this lying down, as many are now questioning whether Capcom really understood the issue at hand at all.

Pro Chris Tatarian has called this move one of the biggest fails gaming has ever seen.

This has the be the biggest fail in the history of gaming … https://t.co/Q6fj8M6FS3

— QAD | Chris T (@Chris_Tatarian) February 19, 2020

Popular fighting game YouTuber Maximillian had posited that this fix wouldn’t be a fix at all, and was sadly confirmed.

The fix was to remove the fan-made patch apparently. Now the fan fix doesn't work at all. No adjustments according to many of the actual normal/poor functioning netplay. I hate to say it, but….I called it. https://t.co/0HY6IpjUSt

— Maximilian Dood (@maximilian_) February 19, 2020

Commentators James Chen and David “Ultradavid” Graham could only sigh when they heard the news on their weekly streamshow, UltrachenTV.

The bigger issue at hand is this – if Capcom is already working on Street Fighter VI, have they learned nothing from this generation and will the next game have netcode that’s just as bad? If so, they stand to lose whatever market share they have left to Riot’s unnamed fighting game and Arc System Works.