Hello Online World Warriors!

We mentioned back in January that the team had been hard at work for several months to improve Capcom Fighters Network (CFN) and we are very happy to share with you more details on the improved CFN system.

We understand that Street Fighter V’s server performance has been a less than optimal experience for many of our players. 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.

That said, we want to collect feedback and ensure everything is optimized for launch. We will be giving PC players a sneak peek of what’s to come while putting the new CFN through its paces with an official PC Beta Test. Hit the jump for all the information.

The new CFN PC Beta Test will start on 3/28 at 1pm PDT and will end on 4/3 at 1pm PDT. It will be limited to Steam users only, but will be 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. 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.

If that wasn’t enough to get you to try it out, we are also going to give PC Beta Testers a sneak peek at our Season 2 Balance Adjustments. The full list of adjustments can be found in our previous blogpost here . Once the test is concluded, we’ll make further adjustments to optimize the new CFN and it will make its full release on both PS4 and PC shortly after.

Here is a list of improvements you can expect with the new CFN:

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.

“Since the PC beta will only feature online modes, Training Mode will not be testable at this time. Sorry for the confusion.”

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.

The new CFN server updates mark a new beginning for playing SFV online and we encourage our players to participate in the PC Beta Test to see what improvements we have in store. For the latest updates on Street Fighter V, follow us on Facebook and Twitter .