Capcom released their 2018 Integrated Report, calling for a bigger push into esports and announcing the opening of an internal division dedicated to launching new endeavors for the brands in the space. “Next year, in order create business opportunities in the esports market, and to invigorate the domestic market in particular, we will establish a specialized esports division and leverage fighting games, such as Street Fighter, which has a high affinity for esports,” the company stated. Plans include a boost in prize pools money as well as more sponsorship of events. “In the fiscal year ending March 2019… we aim to strengthen investment and expand the scope of our activities, including hosting our first major competition in Japan to promote an environment conductive to the spread of esports domestically. Specifically, we will bolster activities targeting top players, such as increasing the number of competitions and size of prize money, and issuing professional licenses to top-ranked athletes and other professionals. We will also hold qualifying competitions for amateurs and provide an environment that includes spaces for playing esports,” the report stated.