There’s also the mysterious Promoter, an Elder known as Xirena Awhina, who organizes a tournament between Earth’s superheroes and villains to determine the planet’s fate. Of course, whether she’s the key antagonist or simply another pawn in this galactic free-for-all remains to be seen, but her power is the real deal.

As for Peni, she brings a “wide range of gadgets and unique tools” to the fight courtesy of SP//dr, which combos pretty well with the other Guardians. Knowhere also joins the stage roster – a welcome addition for Guardians of the Galaxy fans.

Interestingly, Arc System Works also added a new feature to the game – Automatic Team Name Generation – which can generate a team name for your unit. Each combination is tied to Marvel lore and even gets announced before fights.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is out on August 6th for PS5 and PC. It’s undergone numerous improvements since the last closed beta, which you can learn more about here (hurray for no more Link Attacks on whiffed moves). EVO Japan 2026 players can try it from May 1st to 3rd in Tokyo while also playing as Peni Parker and other recently unveiled heroes like Wolverine, Magik and Danger.

Get your checklist out because some of these are a doozy:

• Tagging now has reduced frames and animation time, so extending combos feels a lot snappier.
• You can now cancel attacks to trigger non-Rush assists. Oh, and assists can now be triggered consecutively, so feel free to call in the entire squad for help.
• Ground assists can now be called while airborne. Great for keeping your opponent guessing and creating some space to retreat.
• Super Skills will no longer trigger wall breaks. Furthermore, characters will now enter a full knockdown state after a wall break.
• Link Attacks, aka auto combos, can’t be activated if you whiff. Truly a brave new world.

Of course, as producer Takeshi Yamanaka notes on Twitter, these aren’t all of the changes (the frequency of area transitions has also been tuned, for example). Those who want to go hands-on and try out all 11 characters, including Wolverine, Magik and Danger, can do so on March 20th at the ARC World Tour in Seoul. The development also has plenty to announce, from other characters to new modes, so stay tuned.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on August 6th for PS5 and PC.

If you’ve played Marvel Rivals, then much of Magik’s attacks will look familiar, as she conjures the Soulsword to deal massive damage. Wolverine is pretty much the heart of the squad with his unbreakable Adamantium Claws, while Danger can unleash projectiles and traps, in keeping with her past role in training the X-Men.

ArcSys also revealed the first details on Episode Mode, created in collaboration with Marvel Games and adapting existing characters and settings. The X-Men’s story involves facing a new threat, but otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be any gameplay.

Instead, it’s a motion comic with art by various “celebrated artists,” though the DualSense is supported. While not an extensive campaign, considering ArcSys’s previous efforts, including Guilty Gear Strive and its complete lack of battles in Story Mode, it’s par for the course at this point.

Initially leaked through its Steam listing earlier this week, the launch roster in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls consists of 20 characters. ArcSys is likely saving other reveals for later but you can also take control of Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Ms Marvel, Star-Lord, and more. Online lobbies will also accommodate up to 64 players, which is pretty extensive, though more details are required.

While the entirety of the launch roster hasn’t yet been confirmed, trailers for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls have revealed that Steve Rogers as Captain America, Doctor Doom, Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Kamala Khan as Ms Marvel, Peter Parker as Spider-Man, Star-Lord and Storm will be among them. For online multiplayer, lobbies will each support up to 64 players, but those who prefer single-player experiences can look forward to the Episode mode. It promises provide deep dives for each of the team’s dynamics and their lore.

The timing for this errant Steam listing update is an interesting one, since Sony has announced a State of Play showcase for February 12. The company confirmed that the event will focus on “news, gameplay updates, and announcements” from its worldwide partner studios, as well as those under the PlayStation Studios banner. The show is slated to be over 60 minutes in length and will start at 2 PM PT/5 PM ET.

Back in November, Marvel Games general manager Haluk Mentes had noted that the goal of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is to “reinstate Marvel as a pillar of the fighting game community.” It is worth noting that Arc System Works’ upcoming fighter will be the first Marvel game in the genre since 2017’s Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Mentes also spoke about the anime-inspired art style of the upcoming game.

“Working with ArcSys and PlayStation has been a dream,” said Mentes. “From inception, the goal was to reinstate Marvel as a pillar of the fighting game community, and to do it with a unique, anime-inspired art style and some of the best tag-team fighting mechanics out there. From the get-go, we collectively started pushing the envelope in terms of design to bring out that unmistakable ArcSys identity. I particularly love how Iron Man looks in the game – super unique but instantly recognizable. We’re incredibly proud of Marvel Tōkon and I think players are in for a real treat when it comes out next year.”

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls was unveiled in June last year, and is being developed for PC and PS5. It doesn’t yet have a release date, but the Steam store page update indicates that we might see a major announcement at this week’s State of Play showcase. In the meantime, check out a gameplay showcase of Spider-Man and Ghost Rider from during Tokyo Game Show 2025.

There are eight new characters in total, alongside two new stages and three arenas, including X-Mansion, where Colossus, Angel, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, and Beast are visible in the background. Potentially hinting at other playable characters? We’ll have to wait and find out. As for why Arc System Works chose Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider instead of Johnny Blaze, it’s due to story reasons (which it can’t divulge yet).

The closed beta will also include online lobby matches, rollback netcode, Spectator Mode and offline battles against CPU opponents. Say what you will about the mechanics of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, but it looks absolutely gorgeous. Marvel Games’ goal of “reinstating Marvel as a fighting game community pillar,” rallying Marvel vs. Capcom fans, is also notable, especially if it gets ten years of support.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches next year for PS5 and PC.

When asked about working with Arc System Works for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, Mentes noted that Marvel Games wanted to work with the developer to tap into its “unmistakable identity”, from the anime-inspired art style to tag-team fighting game mechanics.

“Working with ArcSys and PlayStation has been a dream,” said Mentes. “From inception, the goal was to reinstate Marvel as a pillar of the fighting game community, and to do it with a unique, anime-inspired art style and some of the best tag-team fighting mechanics out there. From the get-go, we collectively started pushing the envelope in terms of design to bring out that unmistakable ArcSys identity. I particularly love how Iron Man looks in the game – super unique but instantly recognizable. We’re incredibly proud of Marvel Tōkon and I think players are in for a real treat when it comes out next year.”

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls was first unveiled back in June, and is currently being developed for PC and PS5. The title was announced with a trailer, which also revealed that it will be a 4-on-4 tag-team fighter featuring characters from across Marvel’s various comics, including Star Lord, Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Captain America, Storm, and Dr. Doom.

More details about the fighting game were revealed through a beginner’s guide trailer that was released back in August. Fights start in a 2v2 format, while escalating over time. A player throwing their opponent or pulling off specific special moves in stages can trigger a transition, which also brings new fighters into the fray.

The core mechanics of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls revolve around several gauges that players have to keep track of – the Vital Gauge, the Assemble Gauge, and the Skill Gauge. These gauges track health, tag-team abilities, and the ability to pull off stronger versions of standard attacks, respectively.

Arc System Works has also confirmed that it has big plans for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, including the fact that it has plans to continue supporting the fighting game and making it “the best experience ever” for the next ten years.

The last Marvel-themed fighting game – Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – was released all the way back in 2017. The title was seen as a bit of a downgrade over its predecessor – Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – thanks in large part to its much smaller roster of characters that, at launch, didn’t include several iconic characters like the X-Men. The title also featured an uninteresting narrative and simplistic combat compared to other tag-team fighters.

Which is funny because Double Dragon is one of the most influential games of all time, not only establishing the beat ’em up genre’s major tenets but inspiring the likes of Golden Axe and Final Fight. And yet subsequent titles and spin-offs couldn’t live up to that legacy. In the wake of Double Dragon Gaiden and Neon doing their own thing to mixed results, does Revive at least pave the way forward while capturing everything that made the original so compelling?

Well, no, and that would be fine if it succeeded on its own merits, but developer Yuke’s drops the ball there as well. The result is a revival that’s more like a rumination on how to mess up a beat ’em up game.

"The Pagoda offers this weird perspective to accommodate the annoying eight-directional movement, resulting in a weird effect when climbing the stairs. But even if it tries sticking to a more rudimentary design, like on the highway, Revive feels downright boring."

The first step: An ugly style. I was flabbergasted when starting Double Dragon Revive for the first time because of its animated stills masquerading as cutscenes. These were more colorful and vibrant than anything seen in the gameplay thus far, and actually made the designs, both for the protagonists and villains, pop out more. But it’s not the actual visual style – when you enter that first stage, a fully 3D, dingy world with generic-looking characters greets you. It was probably easier to develop in retrospect, but the results just come across as dull.

Not that the overall pacing and gimmickry of the levels does much to fix that. You might think that going from one side to the other on a 2D plane is what constitutes a beat ’em up, but there’s so much that can be done in terms of interesting mechanics, enemies, and structures. Double Dragon Revive tries to leverage that in some regards, but with mixed results. One sequence in the Power Plant felt more like an impromptu platformer with conveyor belts and fiery vents. It’s unique but feels completely out of place, especially with the lack of enemies.

The Pagoda offers this weird perspective to accommodate the annoying eight-directional movement, resulting in a weird effect when climbing the stairs. But even if it tries sticking to a more rudimentary design, like on the highway, Revive feels downright boring. This level seemingly goes on forever with very few exciting things going on (barring the motorcycle-riding enemies that traverse the screen a few times).

From the outset, you can choose from two fighters – Billy and Jimmy. The story actually takes place 15 years after a nuclear war in a metropolitan city-esque colony where the Shadow Warriors gang rules. For some reason, people are being kidnapped, and after their childhood friend Marian goes missing, the duo embark on a hard-hitting, name-taking journey.

"I can stomach challenging bosses, but the amount of tedium in Revive’s encounters is simply not fun."

Except that the main motivation for their quest is resolved almost immediately. The whole kidnapping thing is also a gateway into utterly bizarre twists with roots in the trio’s upbringing in the Sosetsuken fighting style. While I appreciated the art style of these cutscenes, they also dragged for way too long, and the characters, though initially making a decent impression, are undone by unfunny dialogue, making the skip button that much more appealing. Which probably explains why some of the plot developments took me completely by surprise, but make no mistake – even by Double Dragon standards, the narrative is downright asinine.

Combat offers some pretty simple mechanics on the surface, with a light attack that can combo, a heavy attack that can knock enemies away or stagger them, and a special. Characters can also block, dodge and grab enemies, either slamming them into environmental objects or tossing them into others. When a Dragon Orb is full, you can execute a Hyper Blow that hits multiple enemies in an AoE.

If there’s one bright spot, it’s that even with this simplistic combat approach, each character has a unique moveset. Billy is fairly well-rounded with a special spinning kick for knocking enemies back, and a heavy attack that’s perfect for sending enemies careening into the background. On the other hand, Marian is quicker and more agile, executing diving kicks and mid-air dodges alongside a special rising knee.

There is some combo potential, and making use of your environment to back an enemy up against a wall to execute an even more devastating version of the basic combo is cool. Unfortunately, the eight-directional movement feels clunky, while blocking and dodging feel unreliable. Enemies aren’t completely dense, but the wall-jump into an AoE attack that easily clears them all out trivializes some encounters. Breaking through enemy armor, especially when they’re about to perform certain attacks (denoted by a blue glow), also feels finicky at times. With how important the latter is for obtaining Dragon Orb charge and dealing some real damage with Hyper Blows, it can be painful. Also, the fact that you need to have the contextual buttons appear over enemies to execute Hyper Blows instead of simply letting them rip whenever feels awkward, especially in the heat of the moment.

Then there are the bosses, who attend the same school of annoying gimmicks as the stages. There’s one that constantly throws you around, but the really annoying part is getting knocked by even the slightest touch of barrels being placed in the arena. Another has flame vents on the walls that activate at certain intervals as he dashes around. You need to avoid all this to break through and ultimately build Dragon Orb charge, since his usual combos drop explosives that, you guessed it, mercilessly knock you back. I can stomach challenging bosses, but the amount of tedium in Revive’s encounters is simply not fun.

"A beat ’em up with a recognizable name and very little else going for it. If you’re starved for new games in the genre, there are far better options available."

Coupled with the fact that a single playthrough takes a handful of hours with very little reason to return, Double Dragon Revive feels like it lacks any real impact. Replaying with other characters and alongside friends are two major appeals in the journey, but I simply have no desire, given how boring the stages can be. Some of the enemies stand out – katana-wielding swordmaster that I have to jump attack to break through, my beloved – but for the most part, they’re mostly uninteresting and downright boring to fight.

If you’re keen on getting the most bang for your buck, there are extra Episodes that provide some more story context on the various villains. These are also a decent way to challenge yourself, even if they’re ultimately not worth the time. You also have optional missions, like taking out a set number of enemies, if you want to avoid the headache of traversing the story.

Overall, Double Dragon Revive is about what I expected, even after diluting my expectations so far. A beat ’em up with a recognizable name and very little else going for it. If you’re starved for new games in the genre, there are far better options available.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Rather than showcasing pure gameplay, the launch trailer – and by extension the opening movie – instead focuses on setting the right mood for the beat ‘em up. Along with giving us a look at the protagonists, we also to see the various enemies that we can fight in action. The protagonists also get quick moments to showcase their own unique movesets before the arrival of an antagonist that actually puts the heroes on the back foot.

As for the physical release of Double Dragon Revive, there are three distinct editions that buyers can opt for: the standard edition, as well as Limited and Deluxe Editions. The Limited Edition includes three character cards and additional outfits alongside the game itself, while the Deluxe Edition also brings in extra goodies in the form of the digital soundtrack, a digital art book, a Steelbook, a printed art book, and a poster.

Double Dragon Revive is a direct sequel to the classic games in the beat ‘em up franchise, with the story being a brand new one that takes place in the same world as the original. It features protagonists Billy and Jimmy who have to set out to rescue their childhood friend, Marion, from her kidnappers – the Shadow Warriors gang. While the story takes on a decidedly old-school vibe, with the writing feeling like it comes right out of the pages of one of the original Double Dragon titles, the gameplay is a more modern take on the genre.

The side-scrolling beat ‘em up action in Double Dragon Revive will offer players the chance to pull off intricate combos depending on the combination of buttons that players press. Enemies can also be grabbed for other attacks, or even thrown into environmental hazards. Along with this, all playable characters also have Hyper Blows that can be used if they find themselves surrounded by too many enemies. These Hyper Blows can also be used in the air for more unique moves.

Each level of Double Dragon Revive is also slated to feature unique gimmicks, which will revolve around environmental hazards, and interactive objects and unique terrain that can be taken advantage of. These can range from wall-mounted flame-throwers, to bridges over bottomless pits lacking guard rails, making them perfect opportunities to dish out massive damage to enemies.

Double Dragon Revive got a showcase trailer back in June that confirmed the contents of its Limited and Deluxe Editions, as well as a Nintendo Switch release for the title. The game itself was first announced all the way back in July 2024, and was described by Arc System Works as featuring “intuitive gameplay” that will have players figure out enemy move sets and how they can be manipulated with ideal attack timings.

In the meantime, a new balance patch is available, which adds the Z Reflect mechanic for all characters (save for Videl). If you successfully block an opponent’s physical strike, then a “screen freeze” is triggered, during which Vanish can be used (and it’s invincible on start-up at this time). Other notable changes include canceling faster out of Ki Charge and faster timing for performing Dragon Rush and Super Dash.

There are also character-specific balance changes – check out all the details here. Dragon Ball FighterZ is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Its last DLC character was Android 21 (Lab Coat), added in February 2022.

This version of Ghost Rider is Robbie Reyes rather than Johnny Blaze, as evidenced by a special move where his flaming car runs over opponents. Spider-Man is, as you’d expect, Spider-Man, using agility and web-slinging to gain an advantage. The gameplay highlights the Savage Land, a familiar X-Men location, with multiple stage transitions.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches in 2026 for PS5 and PC as an initiative between Marvel Games, Arc System Works and PlayStation. It’s seemingly meant to receive ten years of support, or at least become the “best experience ever” throughout that period according to producer Takeshi Yamanaka. Head here for more details on the mechanics of the 4v4 fighter.