While fighting game fans have been clamoring for a new Marvel vs Capcom, it seems the real successor to those classics has been in the works at BlazBlue and Guilty Gear developer Arc System Works in the form of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. According to a developer interview alongside the announcement, it seems it all got started when PlayStation invited the ArcSys team out for drinks.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is a 4v4 tag fighter casting Marvel's heroes in Arc System Works' legendary anime style. The game is due out 2026 on PS5 and PC.
"Generally, a team VS fighting game requires the player to learn multiple characters, but for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, you only need to master one character in order to play the game," game director and lead battle designer Kazuto Sekine explains in a PlayStation Blog post.
"We have designed the mechanics in such a way that you can perform a variety of actions with either traditional fighting game inputs or simple inputs. With the press of a few buttons, multiple characters can appear on screen to provide backup or attack together – creating a new and exciting team VS battle experience."
The initial roster on display includes the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), and they all look absolutely incredible with this visual treatment.
"It all started when a friend from PlayStation suddenly messaged 'Hey, want to grab drinks?'" producer Takeshi Yamanaka explained during the announcement video. From there, Arc System Works was asked about its interest in making a Marvel fighting fame.
Marvel fighting games, of course, have quite a legacy thanks to Capcom, which makes ArcSys's sudden takeover of the format downright stunning. But PlayStation's existing relationship with Marvel, the mediocre response to Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, and the incredible success of Marvel Rivals, I guess anything is possible.
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