First revealed in State of Play, and not too long ago playable at Evo Las Vegas 2025, MARVEL Tōkon: Preventing Souls, brings a elementary shift to the tag-fighting style. Arc System Works, Marvel Video games, and PlayStation Studios have assembled to create a vibrant, stylized world, and after an intense 30-minute play session this previous weekend, I’m counting down the times till I’m a Tōkon fighter once more.
Constructing a 4v4 group
“The rationale we went with 4v4 is usually because it’s one thing that’s by no means been accomplished earlier than in preventing video games the place gamers can change characters,” says Kazuto Sekine, Recreation Director and Lead Battle Designer, Arc System Works. “We needed to problem ourselves to create a brand new tag fighter.”
Throughout my session, I had entry to a set of all-star Heroes to create my group of 4:
● Physician Doom is sluggish however hits onerous with magical and tough vary assaults.
● Ms. Marvel is fast with high-risk, high-reward assaults.
● Storm is an aerial menace with lethal crossovers.,
● Iron Man retains enemies at bay with anti-air and different punishing strikes.
● Star-Lord was essentially the most technical together with his capability to modify between firearms and insane juggles.
● Captain America is a flexible all-rounder and a fantastic entry level for brand new gamers.
After some experimentation, I prioritized enjoying Storm and Star-Lord. I beloved how their combos, persona, and aptitude have been true to their characters (at one level, Storm sternly refers to Star-Lord as “Quill” when he’s goofing off, which I adored). Storm’s gentle and medium assaults are beginner-friendly and combo properly into her Fast Ability, which is a personality’s distinctive assault you activate by urgent R2. I additionally discovered success speeding in with Star-Lord, utilizing fast blaster and melee combos proper into his Final, activated just by urgent R1.
The management scheme is fairly easy. Sq., Triangle, and Circle are your gentle, medium, and heavy assaults, respectively, whereas X is the assemble button. All your particular assaults and abilities are reserved for the triggers. L1 allows a fast sprint, L2 is a fast Assemble capability, and R1 and R2 present your distinctive assault and fast abilities.
How swapping between characters works
Historically, in a tag fighter, you need to rotate via your complete group earlier than the match is over, however in Tōkon your group shares one well being bar. This implies you don’t must grasp the entire roster to be efficient, and in that sense, can method the sport like a extra conventional fighter if you happen to select to. Firstly of the match, you may solely management your lead character. Because the skirmish progresses, you achieve the flexibility to modify into your help characters while you lose a spherical, performing a throw, or knocking your opponent into one other part of the stage. It creates an attention-grabbing dance of being cautious to not give your opponents extra choices to make use of towards you whereas ensuring you entry your prolonged roster first, and who you’ll need as your first backup choice.
“Beforehand for all [tag fighters] in an effort to play them, you had to have the ability to management a number of characters,” says Sekine, “Nonetheless, for our sport, it was essential for us to design it so that you’d solely really need to have the ability to take management of 1 character. You solely have to study to play as one character in an effort to benefit from the sport, and you’ll nonetheless see your different teammates coming out and in of the battlefield.”
The place you’ll historically have a devoted button to swap between your social gathering, right here you do it throughout assists. When you efficiently name in an help you’ve got a short window to swap to them. This trade creates a pure swap out within the chaos of battle and a few fashionable moments between characters. Tōkon cares about what is occurring on display screen always, so switching between characters in the midst of a combo, standing nonetheless, and even within the air creates distinctive animations, reminiscent of characters giving one another daps or quipping about needing to step in.
Accommodating completely different gamers’ preventing types
As I used to be learning my opponent’s strikes, they took a unique method, specializing in supers and making an attempt to deliver out their group for full-screen spectacles. The place every character performs a fast combo, sending your opponent airborne whereas smashing them to the bottom, ending in what I can solely describe as a superhero pose-a-thon. The methodical vs manic method created a enjoyable back-and-forth between us, however the sport was accommodating of each approaches and offered its personal sense of satisfaction.
“Relating to the sport’s design, it was crucial for us to make this one thing that’s simple to get into, however has depth past that preliminary entry,” says Sekine. “One factor that we have been very cautious about when designing the sport was to make sure that there’s no type of mechanic or assault that somebody who’s simply getting began wouldn’t be capable of carry out. It could impede on the expertise of latest gamers.”
“While you press the Assemble button, relying on the scenario and what’s occurring within the match, the Help will come out and carry out a unique motion that’s appropriate for that individual second,” says Sekine. “By designing it in that method that we’re capable of clearly talk to the participant when they need to be calling of their assists, and make it simpler for them to play.”
Anime-inspired Heroes in motion
“At Marvel video games, it’s actually essential for us to permit builders to place their very own distinctive stamp on the Marvel Universe,” says Michael Francisco, Sr. Product Improvement Supervisor, Marvel Video games. “Within the case of Arc, it’s that fusion of Marvel and American comics with Japanese anime and manga, and you’ll see that mirrored within the artwork fashion and the character designs.”
All of the characters ooze attraction, however the backgrounds additionally pack a variety of thrilling particulars. Eagle-eyed followers ought to preserve a watch out for attention-grabbing signage referencing heroes and occasions, pedestrians reacting to on-screen motion, and easter eggs scattered all through. It’s apparent a variety of care was put into constructing this world.
“It was crucial for us to have the ability to create the visible pleasure that ought to be entailed with [tag fighters],” says Takeshi Yamanaka, Producer, Arc System Works. “Since it is a 4v4 sport, that implies that we are able to have as much as eight characters out on the display screen at one time altogether, so we have been cautious when creating the visible composition of the display screen to make sure that we convey that pleasure.”
The 4v4 fights start subsequent 12 months
MARVEL Tōkon: Preventing Souls is ready to launch in 2026, and whereas I’m excited to see all of the heroes, mixtures, and worlds the sport will take us too, I requested the group how they felt about creating one thing new that has by no means been accomplished earlier than within the preventing style.
“It’s each scary and thrilling, exhilarating and terrifying, on the identical time,” says Francisco. “From the start, all of us need to honor and respect the wealthy historical past and legacy of Marvel, whereas additionally forging our personal path ahead to create one thing new and modern. So, we simply hope followers are excited to see what we’ve give you as a collaboration between all three events.”
