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Capcom seem to have removed the flag of Hong Kong in favour of the People’s Republic of China in edits to Street Fighter II.
The Nintendo Switch release of Arcade Stadium includes Street Fighter II among other classic games. Character Fei Long was originally accompanied by the flag of his nationality which was that of Hong Kong S.A.R. This flag has now been replaced in newer versions with the flag of the People’s Republic of China, a move that has already seen significant backlash.
The flag had previously been changed from the British Hong Kong flag to the redesigned Bauhina flag, but this new change effectively edits the character’s nationality. Based on Bruce Lee – himself a Hong Kong-American actor – Fei Long was intended to pay tribute to the action hero by way of aesthetics and origin.
Screenshots of the change surfaced on Twitter with user @pomegd posting comparison photos.
香港の旗
1枚目：Capcom Arcade Stadium
2枚目：アニコレ
3枚目：基板＆ドリキャス版 pic.twitter.com/tEpYyZZt2t— ぽめ (@pomegd) February 18, 2021
The thread highlighted many changes in the series, but many of the replies to the flag’s change repeated the phrase “Hong Kong is not China”. One reply speculated that the National Security Law imposed in Hong Kong last year “led to Capcom being forced to change Fei Long’s flag in Arcade Stadium”.
@gosokkyu seems the bill last year in HK led to capcom being forced to change Fei Long’s flag in Arcade Stadium
— Connor The Dreamer (@SeafoamGaming) February 18, 2021
Tweets from the thread also showed the removal of the Rising Sun from the bathhouse stage, a controversial symbol that’s inclusion has been the subject of some apologies from games including PUBG [via Kotaku].
Capcom have not yet issued a response.
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