"Street Fighter V" will be temporarily free for play online from May 11 to May 14 for second Capcom Fighters Network beta testing.
As posted on Capcom's website, the open beta is intended for the developer to check if things are running smoothly before rolling out the "new and improved" Capcom Fighters Network.
Both PC and PlayStation 4 players will be able to participate in the beta testing. During this period, anyone will be able to play the game, even those who do not own "Street Fighter V."
Many improvements have been incorporated into the Capcom Fighters Network, which players may notice while participating in the beta testing. The biggest would be the Rage Quit Penalty System, in which frequent disconnectors will be matched against similar opponents. Players will also now be able to add friends or blacklist players.
The game will also now feature a shorter load time when joining the Ranked or Casual Match. At the same time, it would also now take less time to be matched against an opponent in online battles.
Country flags are also expected to load in Battle Lounges, allowing gamers to easily play with someone from within their region. The game will also now display country-based rankings.
Capcom also reveals in the same post that it will be introducing a new character, which will be playable during the beta testing period. According to PVPLive, some fans are speculating that this new addition will be Ed, a young boy who trained with Balrog in his Story Mode. The theory came following the synopsis released on the PlayStation Store for season 2 of "Street Fighter V." While a screenshot of the said description is available on the PVPLive website, it seems that the PlayStation Store team may have realized their gaffe since then, since the Season 2 Character Pass page no longer bears that description.
Capcom reminds players that after May 14, the player, as well as the game data of the players who participated in the testing, will disappear.
