SF6 fighter usage: The most popular Capcom Cup X picks so far

For the better part of 2023 the world of Street Fighter 6 esports has focused on one thing: Capcom Cup X. Announced at this year's EVO, the Capcom-backed event promises a grand prize of one million dollars. Safe to say, that kind of money is bringing everyone from the old guard of the FGC to new players out of the woodwork. But with 41 of those 48 qualifier slots filled, one thing remained on my mind: What does the SF6 fighter usage look like among those players?

Luckily, one talented statistician on social media saved us all that work. A tracker of Street Fighter 6 metadata on Twitter, CatCammy tracks the updated data after each Capcom Cup X qualifier. And while there's still seven non-Last Chance Qualifier slots to fill, the data of the most popular fighters--and control scheme--paints an interesting picture.

Let's look at CatCammy's dataset, think about what it all means, and if there's any clear patterns heading into Capcom Cup X in February.

Given that Street Fighter 6 has been out awhile now, we can better determine patterns and favoritism when it comes to SF6 fighter usage throughout Capcom Cup X qualifiers. It will come as no shock to see the likes of Ken, Luke, and JP near the top of the usage charts. Even including secondary fighter picks, 21 of the qualified fighters prior to today used one of these three.

Ken's place at the top of the meta was secured even as far back as EVO Grand Finals this year. Why? Superior buttons and fantastic midrange pressure equates to strong play. Meanwhile, the likes of JP and DeeJay bring a different kind of pressure and mind games that only the elite competitors can seem to find an answer for.

But what about the lower end of SF6 fighter usage? It's not too big of a shock to see grapplers in the lower half of usage. While not nearly as bad off as they were in SFV, the wrestlers, throwers, and big bois of SF6 still suffer disadvantages against pressure. The larger shock may be Jamie bringing up the rear. Thought to be a strong character pre-release, the hype seems to have been for naught.

Meanwhile, here is an updated graphic for the most and least used SF6 fighters post-Capcom Cup X Spain/France/Portugal qualifier. Won by FGC mainstay Mister Crimson, we see a slight juggle in usage at the top. DeeJay continues to climb in popularity, while Luke overtakes Ken as the most used fighter across players qualified.

Meanwhile, we have seven fighters not used at all, including three grapplers. As a former Hakan main, uh... It feels bad.

Also to take note throughout Capcom Cup X qualifiers: The number of Classic versus Modern control users. Once the boogie man of competitive play for being the "easy" scheme, Modern's usage is considerably low--Making up less than five percent of qualified players.

How much will these numbers change between now and the start of Capcom Cup X in February? We'll let you know as the road to one million dollars approaches.

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