Capcom's Street Fighter 6 anniversary art competition has become embroiled in controversy after one of the winning entries was suspected to be AI-generated. This discovery has sparked outrage among fans, especially since the contest rules explicitly prohibited the use of artificial intelligence in submissions.

The fighting game phenomenon Street Fighter 6 has achieved remarkable success since its 2023 launch, selling over five million copies. Its recent release as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title promises to further boost these impressive numbers. To celebrate this milestone, Capcom organized a special art contest inviting fans to create original artwork featuring the game's iconic characters.

The competition's finalists are currently being voted on through the official Street Fighter website. Among these entries, the winning artwork for character Kimberly, submitted by Twitter user Lilithascends, immediately raised suspicions within the community. Experienced artists and fans noted telltale signs of AI generation in the piece's composition and detailing.

After thorough investigation, Capcom confirmed the violation and disqualified the submission. The artist in question subsequently deleted their social media accounts as the controversy grew. Voting for the legitimate entries remains open until August 4, with fans encouraged to participate in selecting the true fan-created artwork that will appear in the game.

This incident coincides with other major Street Fighter 6 developments, including a collaboration with K-pop group Aespa and the upcoming August 5 release of classic character Sagat as DLC. The update will also introduce new swimwear outfits for several fighters, with additional characters like C. Viper scheduled for future releases.