They flat out stated that they released this game early because of the Capcom Pro Tour so yes, it was released like this for the hardcore FGC audience. That's why this game lines up exactly with the tour schedule. Hell, Ono flat out said they underestimated single player features and said that had they delayed it, the game would have been released better for casual fans because the additional modes would have benefited casual fans. Nowhere did I say that the game was perfect for FGC members but it damn sure wasn't the same as with casual fans and that's definitely not Capcom's mindset when they released this game and why they did it. You need to really look up why they released it the way they did. It was for the hardcore players, not casual fans. Nowhere is anyone saying the game was perfect for hardcore FGC members, it's rare any game is perfect during release these days.
It's not really a debate as these comments came from Capcom.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/capcom-pro...et-fighter-5s-lack-content-complaints-1553850
"While many believe that the game was rushed to market in February to make release in time for competitive tournaments and the Capcom Pro Tour, Ono said it was not the only reason. "The Capcom Pro Tour wasn't the only reason for why the game was released when it was,"
So how exactly is that Capcom stating it was "the reason"? That's a really creative way of twisting that quote.
The only reason why the game is better for hardcore players is because literally all they need is the bare minimum in order to play the game. They weren't done any favors, a lot of the features we like we're missing or not functional on release, far more so than most releases.