Meet the top competitors facing off at the 2016 Capcom Cup

The most anticipated Street Fighter V competition of the year -- Capcom Cup -- kicks off on Friday. There, 32 elite SFV players will battle for their share of the $350,000 prize pool -- the largest yet.

Players from all over the world have been competing year-round in Capcom Pro Tour -- a series of smaller tournaments -- for points, to qualify for this weekend's finale. Many suspect this could be the first year a U.S. competitor takes the cup.

Here are some of the top-ranked competitors to look out for this weekend

RZR | Infiltration (South Korea)

Seonwoo "RZR/Infiltration" Lee is a force to be reckoned with. He's number one in the Pro Tour standings, four-time EVO champion, and Capcom Cup 2013 winner. In Street Fighter he normally plays the character Nash, so expect to see steady strategy and clutch blocks from Lee.

You can watch Lee's EVO 2016 win in the final match below. Skip to 18:37 if you want to see his impressive blocking on full display:

Tokido (Japan)

Hajime "Tokido" Taniguchi is known for placing highly in SFV competitions and winning the 2015 Canada Cup with Ryu. Taniguchi's match against Infiltration is preceded by loads of hype. Though Taniguchi usually falls short in the rankings to Infiltration, he took him out during the Community Effort Orlando tournament this past June.

However Capcom Cup plays out for Taniguchi, be sure to watch him in 2017 as his previous character choice -- Akuma -- will be added to SFV in the coming months.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

EG | Justin Wong (USA)

The legendary fighting game player Justin Wong holds many victories, but how will he do during Capcom Cup?

There's a good chance Wong will use Karin during the tournament, as he's been seen doing throughout 2016. Though a fierce competitor, Wong was taken out by Dang in October at Red Bull Battle Grounds so he could have troubles when they face off again.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Liquid | NuckleDu (USA)

Du "NuckleDu" Dang is a tremendous Street Fighter player -- he favors Nash, R. Mika, and Guile -- and he is believed to be the United States' best shot at winning the Capcom Cup.

Back in October, Dang was the first-ever U.S. winner of Canada Cup 2016. His achievement in Toronto -- where he went 3-0 -- has led many to think that he'll emerge victorious this weekend as well.

Watch his Canada Cup win below:

Capcom Cup kicks off on Santa Ana, Calif. on Dec. 2. The event will then conclude on Dec. 3 at the Anaheim Convention Center. You can catch the cup on Twitch, or on ESPN2 the day after it happens.