Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Has Set Itself Up for a Rough Launch

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Everyone’s looking forward to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, the new fighting game from Arc System Works featuring popular Marvel heroes and villains. It’s a 4v4 tag-team fighter, and a recent update to its Steam page has revealed more about what to expect. While some of the details were predictable, others suggest the game might face some challenges when it launches.

Details about an upcoming 2026 fighting game appeared on the Steam page before PlayStation’s February 2026 State of Play event, probably due to an accidental leak. Players captured screenshots of the listing, which included both new information and previously known details, as well as the game’s PC requirements. While features like Episode Mode and 64-player lobbies were also mentioned, the biggest news for fans is the size of the game’s character roster.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Is Planned To Launch With Only 20 Main Roster Characters

One of the most notable details revealed in the Steam page leak was that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will launch with just 20 playable characters. The Steam description states players can choose from 20 iconic Marvel characters at launch, all featuring a new, bold anime art style. While the description mentions an “expanding roster,” suggesting more characters will be added later, the initial selection is smaller than many players anticipated.

When comparing fighting games, Dragon Ball FighterZ, released in 2018, started with 24 characters. This is a similar style to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. While Street Fighter 5 launched with only 16, games with small starting rosters often receive criticism. The King of Fighters 15 took a different approach, offering 39 characters divided into teams of three. Eventually, all of these games expanded their character lists with downloadable content, ultimately exceeding 40 playable characters.

Okay, so I’m really excited about Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and I think it has a ton of potential, but the initial character lineup is a little… odd, honestly. I get that the game is built around 4v4 team battles, and 20 characters does give you five full teams, which is cool and fits the whole teamwork idea. But honestly, it feels a bit light. Games like Dragon Ball FighterZ launched with 24 characters, and I was hoping for something similar. It just doesn’t quite stack up to other fighting games we’ve seen lately.

4v4 Matches Will Likely See Many Fighters Repeated Until More Are Added

If Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls were a traditional one-on-one fighting game, its 20-character selection wouldn’t be a major issue, though a bit limited. But because players choose a team of four characters for each match, you quickly start seeing the same characters repeatedly. Without knowing the full character list beforehand, it’s difficult to predict how much players will tolerate seeing limited options over and over again.

Players might get tired of seeing the same characters repeatedly in match after match, potentially causing them to lose interest in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls quicker than expected. While the game offers a lot of strategic depth with different team combinations and character roles, this novelty won’t last forever as players become more familiar with the mechanics. The limited number of characters could dampen excitement until more fighters are released.

Other Fighting Games Keep Things Fresh With Larger Rosters Or Immediate DLC

Fighting games stay popular by consistently adding new characters. For instance, Alex in Street Fighter 6 is getting a lot of attention as one of the most anticipated downloadable characters in a while, and he stays true to his roots in the series. This trend isn’t limited to fighting games either – even games like Mario Tennis Fever are launching with their largest character lineups ever, proving that players really enjoy having a wide variety of options.

A great example of a fighting game launching with a huge number of characters is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It intentionally included every character that had ever been playable in the series. This approach, effectively saying “everyone is here!”, really boosted the game’s popularity. It meant fans got the characters they wanted right away, instead of having to wait for them as downloadable content.

Marvel has a huge number of characters to choose from for games, and Marvel Rivals has demonstrated that fans enjoy seeing both well-known and lesser-known heroes included. While Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls faces the difficult task of selecting the most popular Marvel characters, launching with only 20 could restrict the game’s potential right from the start.

What are your thoughts on the initial lineup of 20 characters in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls? Share your opinions in the comments or discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-11 21:15