In June 2022, a major leak from Capcom revealed the entire cast for the upcoming Street Fighter 6, with Cammy occupying a notable portion of the conversation surrounding the game. With the now official announcement of Cammy as a playable character, the topic has resurfaced.
The controversy stems from the fact that Cammy's iconic leotard will no longer be her default costume in regular play. It was replaced instead by sportswear, a common theme in SF6 and its urban setting.
Inevitably, two sides formed: one that asked questions and lamented over the fact Capcom is shifting direction in terms of their female character designs, and the other immediately jumping to the defence of Capcom and accusing detractors of being the worst people on the planet. The latter in particular, in relation to the recent trailer, are dismissing the former's concerns because of a handful of comments compiled together (seen below).
(Archive link for above.)
The Capcom apologists - when they're not busy fawning and cooming over Cammy's new pose - believe that crying over censorship is both objectively wrong and a sign of your (lack of) moral character, because Cammy is still attractive and you still have the option to use the classic outfit (as of 24/02/2023, we don't know how players can access the classic costumes).
Why, then, are some people upset by this? If we narrow down Capcom's actions to Street Fighter specifically, we get the following stories:
There are other stories and concerns surrounding Capcom's policies - specifically the leaked seminar they held about political correctness - but we'd be here all day if we went into every example.
Cammy is still attractive in SF6, obviously. I don't think that was ever in dispute by the game's detractors. Their concerns stem from Capcom's documented history of censoring female character designs - and therefore, are upset by the precedent that has been set. Although Capcom have never confirmed it publicly, I am convinced the censorship was done to accommodate for their eSports strategies. Advertising, TV spots, public relations, etc. are all business reasons given to justify the changes. This explains why Street Fighter's female characters still receive DLC outfits that are extremely lewd: they make money, but almost none of them are tournament-legal. Capcom is essentially speaking out of both sides of their mouth.
Can the apologists claim, without question, that this precedent will not escalate further? Will Cammy's leotard still be around in SF7, assuming she comes back? How do you know? All the evidence points to the opposite occurring - and trust me, I'd rather be proven wrong.
The controversy stems from the fact that Cammy's iconic leotard will no longer be her default costume in regular play. It was replaced instead by sportswear, a common theme in SF6 and its urban setting.
Inevitably, two sides formed: one that asked questions and lamented over the fact Capcom is shifting direction in terms of their female character designs, and the other immediately jumping to the defence of Capcom and accusing detractors of being the worst people on the planet. The latter in particular, in relation to the recent trailer, are dismissing the former's concerns because of a handful of comments compiled together (seen below).
(Archive link for above.)
The Capcom apologists - when they're not busy fawning and cooming over Cammy's new pose - believe that crying over censorship is both objectively wrong and a sign of your (lack of) moral character, because Cammy is still attractive and you still have the option to use the classic outfit (as of 24/02/2023, we don't know how players can access the classic costumes).
CONTEXT
Why, then, are some people upset by this? If we narrow down Capcom's actions to Street Fighter specifically, we get the following stories:
- In 2015, Rainbow Mika was announced for Street Fighter V. Shortly after, it was decided that her butt-slap was too 'offensive' and they opted to remove it from the game.
- The same thing happened to Cammy in the same game. Along with her nipple bumps, two camera angles were changed to avoid showing off her crotch and backside.
- In 2016, Japanese player Fuudo was forced by ESPN to change R. Mika's outfit mid-match because the network deemed it 'too revealing'.
- SF6 Director Nakayama Takayuki confirmed in a 2023 tweet that Juri's design was altered to cover her skin in black latex. He cites age-rating concerns as the reason for the change, possibly alluding to CERO and/or TV network guidelines.
There are other stories and concerns surrounding Capcom's policies - specifically the leaked seminar they held about political correctness - but we'd be here all day if we went into every example.
CONCLUSION
Cammy is still attractive in SF6, obviously. I don't think that was ever in dispute by the game's detractors. Their concerns stem from Capcom's documented history of censoring female character designs - and therefore, are upset by the precedent that has been set. Although Capcom have never confirmed it publicly, I am convinced the censorship was done to accommodate for their eSports strategies. Advertising, TV spots, public relations, etc. are all business reasons given to justify the changes. This explains why Street Fighter's female characters still receive DLC outfits that are extremely lewd: they make money, but almost none of them are tournament-legal. Capcom is essentially speaking out of both sides of their mouth.
Can the apologists claim, without question, that this precedent will not escalate further? Will Cammy's leotard still be around in SF7, assuming she comes back? How do you know? All the evidence points to the opposite occurring - and trust me, I'd rather be proven wrong.
