Interview: All About the SFV Chun-Li and Ryu Charity Costumes

It isn’t uncommon for all sorts of costumes to appear for characters in fighting games. There are more than a few for each character in Street Fighter V, after all. However, the latest release is especially notable. Capcom teamed with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for SFVChun-Li and Ryu charity costumes. 100% of the profits benefit the charity for the limited time they’re available. To help learn more, Siliconera spoke with SFV Director Takayuki Nakayama, Producer Shuhei Matsumoto, and BCRF Managing Director of Corporate Development Lisa De Luca about the new outfits and the design process.

Shuhei Matsumoto, Capcom: Chun-Li is a symbol of strength and one of the most iconic female characters in gaming. Ryu is also an incredibly iconic Street Fighter character, so our suggestions and the BCRF’s vision were a good fit.

Who put together the concept art for each design? Did they work on other Street Fighter V costumes and, if so, which ones?

Takayuki Nakayama, Capcom: Our designer, Chisato Mita, was in charge of these costumes. She has also worked on designs for other projects like E.X. Troopers and Macross Delta. Although she has not designed any other costumes in Street Fighter V, she has done a lot of artwork for us.

When did Capcom and Breast Cancer Research Foundation begin working on the collaboration?

Lisa De Luca, BCRF: This partnership was one year in the making. Bringing a global partnership of this scale to life takes time and tenacity. BCRF and Capcom remained steadfast in our shared goal to find a meaningful and authentic activation that would engage players while making a significant impact on research.

How did you decide on the color-schemes?

Nakayama: We based the color scheme around the famous pink ribbon that symbolize breast cancer awareness. With BCRF’s mission in mind and with October marking breast cancer awareness month, we felt this color scheme was the best fit.

While these SFV Chun-Li and Ryu charity costumes do support BCRF, they’re also very subtle. Is this intentional?

Nakayama: When coming up with these costume designs, we first wanted to make sure it aligned with BCRF’s activities and philosophy. After this consideration, the final designs were decided on with the hopes of getting as many people to know about this organization and their cause.

Would Capcom consider doing costumes for additional charities following the BCRF ones?

Matsumoto: I can’t speak for all of Capcom, but the Street Fighter V team is always looking for new collaborations that fit with our brand and resonate with our fans. In the case of BCRF, we were excited to do our first-ever charity collaboration and happy to lend our support to the cause and the great work they do.

Street Fighter Vis available for the PlayStation 4 and PC. The SFV BCRF Chun-Li and Ryu charity costumes will be available until November 12, 2021. They are $5.99 each or $9.99 for both. People can also donate at Tiltify.