Capcom delists Street Fighter 5, disables servers over PHP security issue

Capcom has temporarily delisted Street Fighter 5 from the PlayStation Store and Steam and disabled the game’s online servers. The publisher stated that the action was taken to address security enhancements related to the PHP programming language, which is used in the game’s online infrastructure.

Security Vulnerability and Response

The decision follows the discovery of major vulnerabilities within the PHP programming language by a group of cyber-security researchers and organizations. According to VGC, these researchers used AI to identify the flaws, which led to temporary outages for various sites and services while patches were developed.

Capcom confirmed that the PlayStation 4 and PC versions of Street Fighter 5 were potentially vulnerable. In a message posted on the official Street Fighter account on X, the company stated, “To further strengthen security related to the PHP programming language used in the PlayStation 4 and Steam versions of Street Fighter 5, content requiring online functionality is currently unavailable.”

The company added, “Emergency maintenance is currently underway to address this issue. Until the fix has been completed, sales on the PlayStation Store and Steam will be suspended in stages. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience and understanding.”

Impact on Players

While online features such as ranked matches, casual lobbies, and online hubs are unavailable, Capcom has confirmed that players who already own the game can continue to play it offline. This includes single-player modes.

Twisted Voxel reports that Capcom has not provided an estimated time for the return of online features or the game’s return to storefronts. Additionally, the publisher has not confirmed whether player data was affected or if the vulnerability was actively exploited, leaving it unclear if the shutdown is purely precautionary.

Historical Context

This incident marks another disruption in the online history of Street Fighter 5. The game launched in February 2016 and experienced server problems at launch, which prompted a public apology from producer Yoshinori Ono. A later anti-cheat update for the PC version also raised security concerns before being rolled back.

Despite these issues, Street Fighter 5 sold approximately 7.9 million copies, making it the best-selling entry in the series at the time. Meanwhile, its successor, Street Fighter 6, has continued the franchise's momentum, with Capcom announcing in June that it had surpassed 7 million units sold.

Why it matters

The delisting of Street Fighter 5 highlights the broader impact of vulnerabilities in widely used web technologies like PHP on the gaming industry. It demonstrates how security flaws in underlying infrastructure can force major publishers to suspend sales and online services, affecting both new purchases and existing players' access to multiplayer features.

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Sources

• videogameschronicle.com: Capcom has temporarily delisted Street Fighter 5 and turned off its servers as it works on PHP security issue | VGC
• twistedvoxel.com: Street Fighter V Online Services Taken Offline Over PHP Security Issue

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.