Akuma, Ibuki, Rashid, Cammy, Mika, Karin, Kolin, Zeku, Abigail, Birdie, Zangief, Guile, Balrog, Bison, Menat, Urien, Blanka, Necalli.
That’s a pretty damn big chunk of the roster to have be viable. And it’s more than 10. The others can be thrown into a “probably too shit to bother pick one of these instead.” or counter pick territory but this is a solid amount to have.
I think the number of tournament viable characters is in a pretty good state, and you get a healthy number of mid tier cameos in there too (hi Abigail).
Best of all the bottom tier is actually pretty small right now. Even Fang looked like a threat during pools.
Season 1 had a lot of viable characters too. Season 2 goofed it, season 3 goofed sort of and now its pretty solid.
List is missing G. He may have bad match ups but he put in work.
S1 was dominated by Ryu, Ken, Cammy, Chun,
Mika and Nash
It had quite possibly the least character variance.
Funny thing is go back in time I’d put Ibuki top 5 even in S1.
Forgetting Necalli and Karin. Both were as good as those other 6.
Poor mans never gets credit.
S1 also didn’t have a very big roster. Also I don’t think you can put as much stock in S1 , people still finding their feet imo. Plus lag.
Prob with Necalli is his player base was constantly small so it’s hard to see him dominate a circuit in presence.
Like, the best Necalli in the world literally dropped him because he said he was too boring. Nobody wants that power, they forsake too much lmao.
Not putting stock in it, just saying S1 had little to no character variation. Each season in SF has grew progressively more varied with Cammy never shifting her presence.
It’s a reverse SFIV, Super had a lot of good options, come ultra it’s a lotta shotos.
Just saying you were missing 2 characters from the season 1 top tier. A lot of that top tier were in equal power levels to each other.
The character that probably had the biggest of going up the ranks was Guile. But he needed that +2 boom nonsense to really put him over the edge into funky town. Urien was doing the Unga dance too but he had actual holes in his gameplan.
Season 1 was a magical time, bring back invinsible DPs. 
Necalli was and still is good, but I can’t remember the dude ever winning an event lmao. He’s been that secret boss everyone says is mad good but then never really does anything.
Give me new gameplay mechanic before new characters, shake up the meta. Bring new life into these weaker characters.
I’m think it’s probably similar, just the gap between the levels is closer.
You had Fei, Yun, Seth, Gen, Viper, Etc and one of the last EVO was Sagat vs Rose.
I think what you don’t see now is Xian Gens, Gamerbee Adons or Bonchan Sagats.
You just see “Cammy” or “Akuma”
No flavours!
Can we finally just give Sagat a fucking gun???
Yeah you had far more reason to stick by your main across versions in IV, currently for V it can still be boiled down to who has the best shell of the archetype you like.
Like I still think playing Sagat is literally like trying to play one handed, he’s just a bad version of others.
Finally someone get it
For the same reason you were rocking that Bardack avi saying F U Capcom after the DBZF reveal, what the game already have isn’t good enough to chill. We reached a good balance, but the netcode is still horrible, the cast is large, but some fav characters are missing considering how some of the actual ones are treated like slot waste by Capcom itself (Alex? Vega? Fang?).
We gonna have ALWAYS someone who complain for the current SF, but the real issue here is the completely lack of communication from Capcom, especially at a point where we don’t know where SFV is now in their minds. I will keep playing mostly because the competition does even worse, but with that communication disservice sure thing I will not spend a dime anymore on this game. Who’s satisfied with it is free to do differently, but not me. End of the story.
I’ve nothing to say about the tournament itself, I didn’t saw the top 8 for obvious reasons being in EU, but that’s not the point. Some believed in Capcom being vocal about their plans on SFV and they shafted their loyal customers. Whoever said he’s ok with them being silent after 3 months of silly costumes is just a liar.
Feroce you can write a structured reply all you like and all ima see is I WANT MAKOTO OKAY
I ain’t ever played you online so…I don’t actually believe you ever played this game to begin with. 
Sagat isn’t “viable” not even close. I know we hate that word. He’s not alone though.
For dad, drinking jacks, he’s fine.
Viable in the sense that put thrice the amount of work in and maybe see a close victory.
Yeah sure he’s viable. Bonchan probably aging rapidly with each game played.