Capcom shuts down Sega vs. Capcom fan game

It is with great displeasure that I inform you all that the amazing fangame Sega vs. Capcom: The Next Level is gone now. Guess that means… Welcome To The Previous Level…

Indie developer 4Cyde Studios have received a formal Cease & Desist letter from Capcom, forcing them to take the game down and discontinue any further updates. Capcom, sadly, did not take well to them using their trademarks. The game is no longer available to download on the 4Cyde Studios website, but their YouTube page still has all their previously released videos on the game. If you downloaded the game before the takedown, you are free to continue playing it for as long as you can hold onto the game files. Sorry to any Linux users waiting on their build of the game, as it couldn’t be ready before the C&D notice.

4Cyde Studios have also put out a statement on YouTube addressing the situation, so go on ahead through the break to find out more about that.

As Sega fans, we’re used to Sega being more merciful to fan games, especially Sonic fan games, but Capcom is a whole different entity with different priorities. As sad as this is, Sega vs. Capcom was, undoubtedly, using Capcom’s trademarked logo and some of their copyrighted characters without Capcom’s blessing. Even though the game was free and featured a built-in disclaimer saying that it is not officially sanctioned by Capcom or Sega in any way, the fact remains that Capcom has the legal right to request a takedown on anything using their trademarks, for better or worse. If Sega took issue with them using their own logo and characters (or Fox, considering Lynn Kurosawa could summon a Predator or General Dutch Schaffer, who are both characters owned by them, for some of her attacks), it wouldn’t be any different.

For what it’s worth, the people at 4Cyde Studios are accepting of this turn of events. They are heartbroken to have years of hard work done in their spare time be wasted and promises for future updates broken, but they fully understand this is a risk all fan projects contend with and harbor no hard feelings toward Capcom. They also have plans for an original game project of some kind that they’re focusing all their energy on now. Sega vs. Capcom’s composer, and apparently also a co-founder of 4Cyde Studios, FaRe ‘N’ HiTe explains their perspective in this new video.

FaRe ‘N’ HiTe still has the game soundtrack available for purchase from his Bandcamp page because it features neither Capcom nor Sega’s branding. You can also still see Sega vs. Capcom videos on their YouTube page, now renamed from “Sega vs. Capcom: The Next Level” to just “4CYDE Studios”.

Were you able to play Sega vs. Capcom before the game’s takedown? How do you feel about Capcom’s insistence on the game being eliminated? Are you looking forward to 4Cyde’s original project, whatever it may be? Let us know in the comments below. We also wish 4Cyde Studios the best of luck with their upcoming original project and will be happy to report on it after it’s revealed one day.