Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Is a Great Game With a Bad Beta

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has been on my radar since the game was first revealed. While I missed the first beta, I was able to participate in the second beta and finally experience the fighting game I was most excited for. Marvel Rivals showed the power the IP had, and I am hopeful to see a huge explosion in the fighting game community as new players come in because of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. But after playing the second beta, I was left a little discouraged.

This isn’t because the game was bad, far from it. I loved it, and am eagerly anticipating a release date. However, where my excitement took a hit was the systems surrounding the game. Understanding that this is a beta, I expect many of the issues to be resolved, or at least improved on. But I think Sony and Arc System Works missed the mark with this beta, and if there is a third one, it needs to be mindful of its presentation.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Needs to Work Out Some Issues

The biggest problem of the beta was the online system, one that I fear will carry over to the full release. Fighting games have become obsessed with forcing players to use online arcade lobbies during matchmaking, and it just doesn’t work. I knew going into the beta that I would hate this system, and sure enough, I did. It adds an unnecessary amount of legwork to finding matches, and while I think the full release will make some improvements, I think this will be one of the biggest hurdles facing the game, and fighting games thrive on good online.

Read Next

4 Upcoming Fighting Games That Could Change the Genre in 2026

From the moment I set foot into the online lobby, I had trouble finding a match. Nearly every arcade cabinet was already claimed by two players, and no one wanted to sit and wait at an empty cabinet. Players would just run around the lobby waiting for a machine to become available rather than sit at one. There was a quick-match button, but it just teleported me to an empty cabinet, which didn’t solve the problem. Then there would be times when I finally got an opponent, only for them to leave the cabinet or for the match to be dropped.

After many tries, I finally got into a match and was able to play. Or so I thought, because the arcade lobby system has no way to distinguish skill level. This led me to fighting an onslaught of Spider-Man players that were so good, I might as well have set my controller down and watched a cutscene. I’m fairly decent at fighting games, with experience in games like Street Fighter 6, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Soulcalibur 6, and more. I’m hoping this will be resolved in the full release, because there is nothing more demoralizing than being excited to play a new fighting game only to get curbstomped every match.

And this leads to another major issue with the beta: there is no training mode. The basic tutorial does a good job at showing you the controls and teaching the mechanics, but outside of this, there is no way to practice combos or even test characters. You can battle against AI-controlled CPU, but these are actually challenging, also making it hard to practice. While I understand Sony and Arc System Works want to test their servers, having the option to practice would have eliminated this problem. Other games, like Avatar: Fighting Legends, offered a combo trial mode in its closed alpha that allowed players to learn characters.

Gameplay Is Where Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Shines

On the second day of the beta, I was able to fully experience Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and it changed my opinion. The first day left me with a bad impression, but after I was able to get together with a friend, I could finally enjoy the game. But before getting into the good, I want to point out that the lobby system also sucks for playing against friends. We had to go to an empty lobby, and even then, the game would randomly disconnect us when trying to connect on a cabinet.

But once we were in-game, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls proved to be an absolute blast. Matches felt close, with my friend and me both trading wins and losses. The characters were fun and felt distinct even with the game’s simplified combo routes. I knew going in that Storm would be my main, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the other characters. After trying them all out, I finalized Storm, Ghost Rider, Captain America, and Dr. Doom as my team.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is unique as a tag fighter because you don’t actually have to play all of your characters. That said, it felt natural to switch up, even if the actual mechanic was a bit clunky. Switching mid-combo allowed for some interesting tech and showed that certain match-ups were strong. It also taught me that you should never play Dr. Doom against Ms. Marvel. But for those who do like the idea of a single character supported by their team, you do not have to switch at all, and in some matches, I played solo Storm or Ghost Rider to great effect.

The actual gameplay is very casual-friendly. While decent, I am no fighting game pro. But I recognize the high skill ceiling in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls that will satisfy those at higher levels. This shouldn’t dissuade less-skilled players, as the auto combo system and flashy moves are very appealing to casuals. With a proper training mode, I’m certain that players interested in the game with less experience will have the tools they need to improve, but the beta was definitely lacking in this department.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is poised to be the next big fighting game. With Sony and Arc System Works behind the game, and with Marvel’s name and legendary characters, it is sure to be a hit. But the beta made it hard to see that. Once I got past the issues, the potential was on full display, and I can’t wait to see what lies in store for the game. There has been no release date revealed, but players are hoping for a 2026 release, hopefully alongside Sony’s upcoming FlexStrike fight stick.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!