Following the success of Invincible’s animated TV series, it’s now time for the esteemed comic book series’ debut in video game format (not including the squad-based RPG mobile game, that is). Invincible VS is a fast-paced, wholly violent 3v3 brawler, with character design and voices taken straight out of the TV show. With Invincible’s original creator Robert Kirkman said to be high on enthusiasm for the game, it’s time to get you in the fighting spirit too. Here are fifteen things to know before you buy Invincible VS.
A Fighting Game Based in the Image Universe
Originally a comic book series set in the Image Universe, Invincible follows the story of Mark Grayson. The series began in 2003, with the last entry published in 2018 following 144 issues. An animated TV adaptation emerged in 2021, putting the spotlight back on this intensely gory yet mature take on the superhero narrative. Its fast-paced, complex action lends itself to fighting game mechanics with ease.
Fights Are Structured in 3v3 Tag Teams
A launch roster of multiple heroes and villains from the Invincible series will compete in 3 versus 3 matchups. Each brings signature moves, with your team’s individual power and complexion hinging on who you add to its ranks. Also, did we mention Invincible VS’s fist-fighting is brutal yet? Well, the devs have gone to painstaking lengths to capture blood, bruises, and bodily destruction in real-time; no doubt inspired by the comics’ frequent viscera.
Fighters Can Be Swapped Mid-Combo
Thanks to the game’s tag system, your opponents can be pummelled by multiple teammates through seamlessly connected combos. By performing an “active tag”, you can switch fighters to continue attacking, dealing more devastating damage through complex chains. There is a combo meter which fills via consecutive hits during battle, and the combo is over once this depletes. But, it is partially refilled when you swap characters, although constant swapping is countered by a cooldown meter, ensuring infinite combos are impossible whilst also giving your opponent opportunity to fight back.
Benched Fighters Can Recover Health
Bringing yet more strategy, when fighters are out of the arena they’ll restore a certain amount of recoverable health. Regaining full health isn’t possible, with the character’s individual health bar indicating just how much they can recover. The extra slice of strategy comes into force here as Invincible VS places strong emphasis on regularly swapping out your characters. With this recoverable health mechanic, benching fighters isn’t just optimal for maintaining the offensive, but it’s a defensive necessity too.
A Boost System Speeds Up Movement
Invincible VS’s Heroic Boost system is yet another resource you’ll need to manage during bouts. Represented by the three yellow bars beneath your character’s health, this boost system amplifies your defensive options by increasing your dash speed, meaning you can dodge or reposition swiftly. Offensively, using Heroic Boost when performing a special attack morphs the manoeuvre into a more powerful version, dealing better damage.
Ultimate Attacks are Brutal, Cinematic Finishers
Now, in Invincible VS, Ultimate Attacks are the most powerful, visually awestriking moves you can execute. Billed as manoeuvres which can turn the tide of battle, they’re also high-damage enough to end it once and for all with a brutal “overkill”. To unleash an Ultimate, you’ll need to perform a heavy attack and a special move simultaneously to wield a “super”. Then, to transform into an ultimate you’ll need to spend some of your boost meter. If done successfully, you’ll trigger a ten-second onslaught of cinematic brutality that’s sure to rank amongst the game’s most spectacular highlights.
Your Teammates Can Assist You In Battle
There are numerous assists that you can trigger during the heat of battle which include your teammates, summoning an ally to join you in a beatdown or to spare your blushes if you’re on the receiving end. Active Assist lets you call in a friend whilst you’re already attacking, hitting, or even blocking. Assist Breaker uses your boost meter to bring in a teammate to break you out of an opponent’s combo chain. We’ve already touched on Active Tag, whereby you tag in a mate mid-combo, but also worth pointing out is that the assist system is directional – forward, backward, and neutral, without any directional input, focusing the help on where you need it.
“Snapback” Forces Your Opponents to Swap Lineups
A more specialised offensive manoeuvre is Snapback, which directly disrupts your opponent’s character-swapping, combo-chaining strategies. When you execute a Snapback, you’ll smack your opponent out of the ring, forcing one of their allies to step in. In the process, you’ll remove their recoverable health by preventing them from healing on the sidelines. What’s more, well-timed Snapbacks can trigger Heroic Strikes and Stage Transitions, the latter smashing your opponent into a new arena altogether.
Stages are Destructible
Each stage in Invincible VS is highly destructible, leading to bouts that are continuously dynamic as the arena shifts, crumbles, and shatters in tandem with the match’s intensity. Together with permanent bruising and scars to characters, and violent stage transitions, there’s an overriding feeling that the brutality and suffering in matches causes permanent damage. These systems give weight and meaning to fights which other fighting games tend to overlook.
Story Mode Penned by TV Series Writer
Invincible VS includes a captivating, cinematic story mode, telling a wholly original story which is penned in collaboration with a writer who worked on the animated TV series. What’s more, series creator Robert Kirkman (who also serves as the TV series’ producer) is lending his creative oversight to the game. With both comics and TV series alike receiving near-universal acclaim you can expect the same level of emotional intensity, witty dialogue, and high-stakes melodrama in the game’s narrative.
Arcade, Training, and Multiplayer Modes
Invincible VS’s other modes include a traditional arcade mode, where your chosen team of three take on increasingly difficult AI opponents. A comprehensive training mode includes a suite of tutorials for the game’s basic and advanced mechanics, with a practice mode giving you a low-stakes arena to perfect your combos. As for multiplayer, you can play locally against your mate in a standard 3v3 matchup, or head online for casual or competitive battles, the latter bringing skill-based matchmaking, rollback netcode, cross-platform play, and global leaderboards.
There’s Plenty of Beginner-Friendly Mechanics
Beyond the game’s tutorials and practice modes, there are plenty of other mechanics to assist beginner onboarding. Simple inputs, functioning similarly to Street Fighter’s “modern controls” allow you to perform auto-combos via single button inputs. Likewise, special moves can be performed by combining a single input with a direction. Active Tag timing, the system whereby you swap characters, can be made a little easier by activating the assist buffer, widening the window a teammate is able to jump in to continue your combo. Lastly, the already mentioned assist breaker can be a one-button press to escape a long combo. You’ll spend two bars of your boost meter, but can prove invaluable for beginners who may be struggling to defend particularly brutal attack chains.
Release Date, Platforms, and Price
Invincible VS is scheduled for global release on 30th April 2026. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. We’ll outline the Deluxe Edition’s features and price in the next entry, but the game’s Digital Standard Edition is retailing at £39.99 / $49.99, with a “Zero Suit” skin listed as pre-order bonus. Also, a standard physical edition has been announced, currently available for the same price as digital.
Deluxe Edition Overview
Priced at £59.99 / $69.99, the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition includes exclusive cosmetics and the first year’s DLC characters – of which four have been announced – alongside the base game. Finally, a physical collector’s edition can be bought which presents the game in a decorative steelbook case, with art cards, and a mini-comic too.
PC Requirements
Your minimum PC requirements for Invincible VS are as follows: Intel Core i5-9700F or Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, GeForce RTX 2070 or Radeon RX 7800 – each with 8GB VRAM – GPU, and 15GB storage. However, recommended specs as per the game’s Steam listing detail an Intel Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 7700 CPU, GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6800 GPU, both again with 8GB VRAM, and 25GB storage space. Whatever your setup, you’ll need 16GB RAM.