PROJECT: SKULLCANDY X STREET FIGHTER II
CATEGORY: SMU / SPECIAL PROJECTS
ROLE: PRODUCT CREATIVE LEAD, CMF AND GRAPHIC.
IMPACT: INTERNATIONAL BRAND ATTETION.
Street Fighter II isn’t just one of the greatest arcade games ever—it’s one of the most influential games, period. When Skullcandy teamed up with Capcom for the 35th anniversary, I knew this collab would turn heads. And I knew I had to get it right—for the day-one players and the next generation. A simple logo slap wasn’t going to cut it. This had to go deeper—to truly honor SFII and its 35-year legacy.
With so much to pull from, I wanted to find something that captured the essence of the entire game—not just one character or moment. After digging deep into the Street Fighter universe, the answer was clear: the arcade cabinet. The birthplace of SFII and competitive gaming itself.
Using the cabinet as the foundation, I was able to push CMF further than anyone expected—bringing in iconic elements like chunky buttons, CRT monitor glow, and subtle IYKYK details that fans will catch the moment they see (or wear) the headset.
Street Fighter II started in the arcades—and for the Skullcandy collab, that’s exactly where I took the inspiration for the PLYR headset. With Street Fighter now on its sixth title, the 35th anniversary of SFII needed to hit for both the OG fans and the new generation. Leaning into the arcade cabinet as the foundation let me tap into that pure nostalgia—the same energy that got so many of us hooked from the beginning. It also gave today’s players a taste of the golden era.
From the cabinet graphics and chunky buttons to the iconic black-and-gray texture and CRT screen glow, there was so much material to work with. I partnered closely with our engineering team to push the CMF further than we thought possible. The story was just too good not to go all-in—and the Skullcandy and Capcom team was fully behind the vision, giving us the green light to bring it to life in every detail.
One of the biggest challenges—and proudest achievements—was creating the lenticular ear cups to mimic the CRT arcade screen. To pull it off, I worked closely with our engineering team to dial in the exact tolerances needed for a clean, convincing “screen” effect on the ear caps.
I also collaborated directly with our factory to nail that slightly blurred, soft-detail look that CRT monitors are known for. By adding a subtle texture and a cloudy powder finish, we achieved a look that felt true to the era.
Both ear caps feature lenticular prints: the right shows Ryu mid-Hadouken with Chun-Li, while the left displays the classic SFII title screen—complete with a flashing “Insert Coin” message.
Right ear cap.
Left ear cap.
I packed everything I possibly could from the arcade cabinet into this headset—the buttons, the graphics, the screen, even the sounds. We went deep. Working with the engineering team, we swapped out Skullcandy’s default UI sounds for actual in-game audio from SFII, giving users an immersive throwback experience every time they power on.
Of course, we had to sneak in an Easter egg. Just like leveling up and beating the bonus round car, if you triple-press the left ear cup, you’ll trigger the bonus stage music. It’s a true if you know, you know moment for the diehards.
