Summary
Marvel Rivalsmade a big splash when it debuted in 2024, and probably did better than Marvel and its developer NetEase Games expected. It wasn’t the big fighting game fans have been waiting for though, as the last new Marvel fighting game wasMarvel vs. Capcom: Infinitein 2017, which received mixed feedback.
Fans aren’t going to have to wait much longer, asMarvel Tokon: Fighting Soulswas recently announced. It’s going to be developed by Arc System Works instead ofCapcom, the latter of whom have been making Marvel-based fighting gamessince the 90s. A lot of gameplay elements and characters are known already, so it’s time to take a deep dive into some confirmed details so far.
6Production, Development, & Expected Release
Diving Deep Into Development
Fighting game fans, or even beginners, should be familiar with Arc System Works, but if they aren’t, here is a refresher. Their two biggest IPs areGuilty GearandBlazBlue,both of which are fighting game franchises. They have worked on plenty of other IPs over the years, making games likeDragon Ball FighterZfor Bandai Namco andPersona 4 Arenafor Atlus.
Their most ambitious fighter wasBlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle,which crossed over characters fromBlazBlue,Persona 4Arena,Under Night In-Birth, andRWBY, and even more crossover characters were added with DLC. With all this in mind, Arc System Works definitely has the pedigree to handle a Marvel fighting game. Sony will be publishingMarvel Tokon: Fighting Souls,while Marvel will oversee the project like they did with Sony’sSpider-Mangames. The game is expected sometime in 2026 for PS5 and Steam.
54v4 Battles
Take That, Marvel vs Capcom!
Most tag-team fighting gamesare fixated on three or two characters per team.Marvel Vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, for example, had 3v3 matches. Arc System Works’ previous big crossover game,BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, only supported 2v2 matches.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Soulsis a new ballgame for the fighting game genre, as it will support 4v4 matches. To demonstrate this, Arc System Works showed off eight characters, four on each side. Presumably, there will be more characters at launch, but the exact number is a mystery for now.
4The Known Heroes
From Captain America To Storm
Since every match in the game is going to be made up of eight characters, Arc System Works is probably going to have to double the number of characters, if not triple the roster, so that parties will not look stale while playing online. Captain America, Dr. Doom, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, and Storm are the confirmed eight fighters so far. Right now, that means only one villain has made the roster. But Dr. Doom probably won’t be theonly Marvel villaininMarvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.
These aren’t normal versions of familiar heroes either, as the costumes for Captain America, Iron Man, Storm, and the others have been altered like the versions found inMarvel Rivals. For example, Iron Man is still wearing a red and yellow suit of armor, but his helmet has a samurai-like design to it. Captain America is sporting a jacket and more trendy attire. Arc System Works may include some wilder fashion choices, as is the tradition in fighting games. After all, it’s part of whyMarvel Rivalsis doing so well.
3The Stages
Blasting Between Areas
Technically, only one stage was shown in the trailer, but it was split between three locations. The overall stage is a city, in which Captain America and Iron Man duke it out before more Marvel characters join the fight. Once Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel join the fray, the web crawler kicks Ms. Marvel out of frame, and then the stage shifts to a park. That isn’t just a clever trailer transition; it’s a mechanic in the game.
In the park, Ghost Rider later knocks Star-Lord into a back alley where they continue their duel.Marvel Tokon: Fighting Soulswill not be the first game to include level transitions in fighting games, as this has been a staple since the 90s, with theMortal Kombatseries. While it’s not new, it is always fun to see a fighting game try to bring this idea back.
2Characters Have Specials
From Dr. Doom Clones To Ghost Rider’s Car
It’s hard to track all the flashy moves between the eight characters displayed in the trailer, because the movements are so fast. That’s good news, as no one wants to play a sluggish fighting game. In addition to all the normal moves, though, every Marvel hero and villain looks like they will have a special similar to theMarvel vs. Capcomseries.
It’s unknown how these specials are activated, because there is no UI in the trailer. There could be a meter that charges up after hits, or it could be something else. Either way, some flashy specials were showcased. In one, Dr. Doom summons a bunch of drones or clones of himself and unleashes them. In another, Ghost Rider manically drives a flaming car into Star-Lord. It’s good to know that Arc System Works is having fun creating such spectacles with these moves.
1Supports Japanese Audio
Will English Be Added Too?
TheMCU began in 2008with the release ofIron Manand, since then, fans have become accustomed to English audio being the main source of output from all of these heroes. That’s why it’s so great to hear Japanese audio coming from familiar characters, like Spider-Man talking about his “Spider-Sense” and Star-Lord saying “Baby” like he is Dante fromDevil May Cry.
It was a bold choice to unveilMarvel Tokon: Fighting Soulsfor the first time with Japanese audio instead of English audio. There is a constant debate in the West over what is better: subs or dubs. Hopefully, the final release of the game will include both audio versions, and fans won’t have to import a copy if they want to hear the Japanese audio. Either way, the production of this game is no joke. Marvel, Arc System Works, and Sony are going to try their darnedest to make this one of the best Marvel-based fighting game of all time.
