Come April 24, Capcom will release the latest downloadable add-on for Street Fighter IV. Unlike past offerings however, the "Championship Mode" DLC will be free of charge and aimed directly at "serious players."
"Street Fighter IV’s new Championship Mode update expands on the fighting fun by offering players the chance to compete in tournaments and to watch replays of the best tournament matches," Capcom said this morning via press release.
Obviously the replays are pretty self-explanatory, but how will the DLC handle tournament play? Capcom explains:
Championship Mode offers you the chance to compete in 5 different grades of tournaments, creating the right challenge for players of every skill level. You’ll score Grade Points (GP) for tournament wins, and as your GP total grows, you’ll become eligible to enter into more exclusive tournaments. Winning tournaments will also net you Championship Points (CP). CP are like “prize money” up for grabs in the tournament. The higher the GP skill of the players in a particular tournament, the bigger the CP prize!
The "Championship Mode" add-on is scheduled for release on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.