Watching Captain America and Iron Man duke it out is nothing new, but they’re not usually speaking Japanese. At Wednesday’s State of Play, Arc System Works debuted a brand-new Marvel fighting game called Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Arc is known for its excellent fighting entries, and this game looks to be more of the same, featuring fan-favorite characters with a distinctive anime-like flair.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is a four-versus-four tag team fighter that’s reminiscent of games like Marvel vs Capcom, with colorful characters, over-the-top abilities, and bouts set against vibrant stage backgrounds. While there aren’t a lot of details yet, PlayStation Studios announced the game will release on PlayStation 5 and PC in 2026.
The trailer opens with Captain America and Iron Man preparing to duel, right alongside Cap’s quip of, “We’re friends. Why do we keep doing this?” Other characters like Spider-Man, Dr. Doom, Storm, Star Lord, and several more also made an appearance. There’s no word on the exact number of characters, but Arc says it will continue to announce more characters as the game’s release nears.
In a post-trailer interview, Michael Francisco, senior product development manager at Marvel Games, said “PlayStation approached us with this vision to bring Marvel back to the forefront of the tag fighting genre.” With regard to working with Arc system works, Francisco said, “It’s always refreshing to work with a team that will take on the challenge of tackling Marvel and putting their own spin on it, and then just uppercutting that challenge into the stratosphere.”
Arc System Works is known for critically-acclaimed franchises like Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, and more. The influence is clear in the trailer, whether it’s from Captain America’s coat that looks like it would be right at home on an anime superhero like All-Might or the Gundam/mecha-inspired twist on Iron Man’s suit.
A game pitting eight characters at once against each other is sure to have a spitfire roster. Due out in 2026, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is poised to bring superhero-focused fighters back into the spotlight.
