Arc System Works has revealed that Phoenix Cyclops will be the first Year 1 downloadable character for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, while also announcing new costumes, an anime-inspired opening movie and additional details ahead of the game’s open beta.
The announcements were made during the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – Behind the Battle panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where producer Takeshi Yamanaka outlined several post-launch and launch plans for the upcoming tag-team fighter.
The first DLC fighter will be Phoenix Cyclops, voiced by Ray Chase. Rather than the traditional version of the X-Men leader, the game features Scott Summers in his Phoenix Five form from Avengers vs. X-Men. Arc System Works says the character combines his signature Optic Blasts and close-range combat skills with the destructive power of the Phoenix Force. More gameplay details will be shared at a later date.
The developer also debuted the game’s opening movie, which draws inspiration from classic fighting game intros and early 2000s anime. The cinematic was produced by Japanese animation studio Sanzigen, which also created the cutscenes featured throughout Episode Mode. The opening theme features vocals from Keiko Terada of SHOW-YA and mayu of NEMOPHILA, with lyrics by Kanata Okajima and music composed and arranged by MEG (MEGMETAL).
Arc System Works also confirmed a collaboration with Insomniac Games, bringing a Wolverine Battle Reborn Suit costume to the game as a free download for all players on September 1. The studio added that the Ultimate Edition will also include an alternate costume based on Spider-Man’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The developer said costumes will play a much larger role than in previous Arc System Works fighting games, with more planned after launch.
Ahead of release, players will be able to try Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls during an open beta running from July 24 to July 26 on PlayStation 5 and PC. Arc System Works also confirmed that Green Goblin has been added to the beta roster, increasing the number of playable fighters from the originally planned 15 to 16.
The studio said the open beta will be the final opportunity to play the game before launch and reiterated that post-release support will include additional characters, stages and other content updates.
