Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is ramping up its marketing efforts, with a playable build of the game being prepared for this year's Evo USA tournament. While only six players can be accessed in this preview version, a recently released screenshot of the Marvel Tokon character select screen suggests that the final game could feature as many as 35 playable characters—a respectable roster indeed.
Of course, this screenshot doesn't do much to illuminate which specific Marvel characters will be included in the game's final build—only eight characters have been officially unveiled thus far. The assumption that there will be 35 characters should be taken with a grain of salt as well, since the original image doesn't actually show 35 character select icons; it simply appears that there is space for that many characters. Moreover, the screenshot may not be representative of the game at launch; Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls could theoretically have an entirely different character select screen, thus undermining the current 35-character theory. Keeping those caveats in mind, it's still probably safe to assume that Marvel Tokon will have a sizable slew of superheroes and villains to play around with, which begs an interesting question: how does this hypothetical selection compare to other popular fighting games?
How Marvel Rivals and Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls are Two Sides of the Same Coin
Aside from their shared IP, Marvel Rivals and the recently announced game, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, are clearly two complementary halves.
How Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls' Roster Measures Up Against the Competition
Marvel Tokon vs. Injustice 2
- Base game: 30 fighters
- Base game plus DLC: 38 fighters
The closest parallel to Marvel Tokon is arguably Injustice 2, as it's the most high-profile, modern AAA fighting game featuring comic book characters, albeit those from DC Comics instead of Marvel. Having said that, the size of Marvel Tokon's roster could be comparable to Injustice 2's: if one assumes that Marvel Tokon will launch with around 35 playable characters, with more coming via DLC, then it will likely surpass Injustice 2's roster size, if only by a bit.
Marvel Tokon vs. Tekken 8
- Base game: 32 fighters
- Base game plus DLC: 38 fighters and counting
Once again, Marvel Tokon finds an easy point of comparison in Tekken 8, whose base roster has just two more characters than Injustice 2's. Whether Marvel Tokon's roster can be considered "better" than Tekken 8's will depend on a number of factors, of course, but in terms of quantity, it should be in the same ballpark, unless the former gets an avalanche of DLC characters; considering the Marvel source material, this is certainly possible.
Tekken 8 will get more DLC characters, with Armor King and an unrevealed fighter joining the game later this year.
Marvel Tokon vs. Mortal Kombat 1
- Base game: 22 fighters
- Base game plus DLC: 35 fighters
While Marvel Tokon's percentage of DLC fighters could tip the scale when comparing it to Tekken 8 and Injustice 2, it will be definitive in establishing superiority over Mortal Kombat 1, which has a whopping 13 DLC fighters. This is one of the more disappointing elements of the game, since its paltry selection of just 22 base fighters encourages players to shell out extra cash for new characters like Peacemaker and Ghost Face; the complete 35-fighter lineup feels like the definitive roster. If Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls does indeed have 35 fighters at launch, then it will at least have more variety than Mortal Kombat 1 from the outset. From there, DLC fighters could continue to expand players' options, potentially putting the game head-and-shoulders above the latest Mortal Kombat in terms of quantity.
Marvel Tokon vs. Street Fighter 6
- Base game: 18 fighters
- Base game plus DLC: 29 fighters and counting
Much like Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6's base roster is relatively trim, and its complete cast is padded out with DLC characters. Street Fighter has notoriously complex mechanics, so this smaller roster makes sense, though a steady stream of DLC fighters could very well help it surpass Marvel Tokon's total character count. As with the previous comparisons, how Marvel Tokon measures up in the end will depend greatly on its post-launch support, which is a tricky ballgame.
- Released
- 2026
- Developer(s)
- Arc System Works, Marvel Games, PlayStation Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Arc System Works, Marvel Games, PlayStation Studios
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes
WHERE TO PLAY
PlayStation Studios, Arc System Works (Arc), and Marvel Games have joined forces to realize the latest in tag team fighters, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls!
Experience the Marvel Universe like never before with reimagined characters and stages, a heart-pounding soundtrack, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
