ONE LAST TOURNAMENT... CAN HE DU IT?

At the end of 2014, Yoshinori Ono announced Capcom's plans to launch a full Pro Tour for the following year. The 2015 season saw the largest cumulative prize pool in Street Fighter history; coupled with the game's increasing popularity and international player base, it produced the most competitive year as well. The final stop of the Pro Tour will be Capcom Cup on December 5th-6th. $250,000 will be at stake as well as the title of best player of the year.

Our very own Nuckledu stands proudly as one of the 32 participants. One can only gain admission by winning a seeding tournament or earning enough points to qualify, and Nuckledu is one of the few players to accomplish both. Undoubtedly this has been the best year of Nuckledu's career in Street Fighter. 5 tournament wins and 2 top 4 placements speak to his gradual improvement. At EVO, historically the most important annual event for all fighting game players, he battled through a killer bracket to earn top 8. Through all these accomplishments, he has earned recognition as one of America’s strongest players.

Nuckledu's first opponent will be Xiao Hai, the explosive Chinese phenom. Formerly a Cammy main, Xiao Hai has preferred to rely on Evil Ryu in Ultra. The character switch suits his overall style, as he likes to keep opponents off-balance with constant aggression. But as Nuckledu showed in his EVO match against Fuudo, he's no stranger to that kind of approach. He thrives when opponents foolishly assume that his Guile will stick to traditional zoning. Instead, Nuckledu mixes it up with plenty of counterhit setups and Flash Kick reads. And in case his first option doesn't work, he has a backup Decapre.

This will be a landmark event for the scene. Capcom Cup will be Ultra Street Fighter IV's swansong before the official transition into Street Fighter V. It also boasts the largest prize pool of any SF event and perhaps the most concentrated locus of talent ever. This is Nuckledu's chance to cement his place in Street Fighter IV history as he attempts to become the game's grand champion.