In 2024, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics reignited a passion for the versus fighter series that many felt had faded away with the aftermath of 2017’s Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. Last year’s compilation saw the dedicated players and casual audiences reunite for these beloved games that had previously been locked away in places such as Xbox Live Arcade. However, the cause for celebration extended beyond the opportunity to play these games again. If a collection like this exists then it shows that the suits at Marvel are still open to the idea of offering their name to versus fighters. Immediately, the doors were open once more to the possibility of a new numbered title, Marvel vs. Capcom 4. However, Sony’s State of Play presentation on the 4th of June revealed something that nobody was ready for. The trailer for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls unveiled a new 2D tag fighter starring a roster of Marvel favourites, with none other than Arc System Works at the helm. Disposable Media has experience with ASW’s gorgeous fighting games in the past, and I’ve gushed about Dragonball FighterZ and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax across several articles. Combined with the longing for a return to form for Marvel fighting games, this was one of the most exciting announcements of the State of Play presentation.
Brawling for eight
With the new game players will enjoy a roster comprising solely of Marvel characters, echoing vibes of 1995’s CPS-2 game Marvel Super Heroes. As with Dragon Ball FighterZ, the trailer shows off a heavy emphasis on movement and impact – from the players closing in and clashing at the centre of the screen, to Captain America launching Iron Man before super jumping to continue the combo. Team members join the action in a very smooth and swift manner, and the fighting carries plenty of flair with its giant slash effects and bold explosions as characters are punted into cars and debris. In addition to the game’s own trailer, the State of Play showed a behind the scenes segment with short interviews describing how this game came to be – from PlayStation approaching Marvel and Arc System Works to try and make a new tag fighter happen, to Arc System Works being encouraged to put their own identity on these character designs, and the agreement to design the gameplay around a 4v4 format. Generally, recent tag fighters have adopted a 2v2 format (Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite) or 3v3 (Dragonball FighterZ, Marvel vs. Capcom 3), so the team felt like this was the next logical evolution. (People are already speculating about whether this means that each individual character will have a simplified moveset, but this remains to be seen.)
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – or, Marvel Super Heroes 2
Personally, I’m entertained by the idea of this serving as a Marvel Super Heroes sequel, and the beautiful animation and fluidity on display suggests that this is being treated with as much love for the IP as something like Dragonball FighterZ. I may be long past the point of being able to play fighting games with any kind of skill, but I still enjoy the design, the spectacle, and the hype – and I found that the MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls trailer was one of the most exciting announcements to come out of the State of Play presentation. In terms of a release date, the trailer offered nothing more specific than a “Coming 2026” (and logos for PS5, Steam and the Epic Store) but I’ll be happy to wait for something that looks as good as this does. Hopefully we’ll share more thoughts about the game when we know more, and as always let us know what you think of the announcement in the comments.
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