Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls completes launch roster with a twist

The most famous championship focused on fighting games, EVO, works great as a platform for related announcements – so it was basically a given that Arc System Works would take the opportunity to reveal the final three characters of its initial roster for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls during that event. What most of us did not expect was for this reveal to hit that hard: ArcSys and Sony have clearly been saving the best for last, as all three new fighters do not just look sensational, but also different enough and exciting enough to attract interest from both seasoned fighting game players and mainstream consumers alike.

So, without further ado: Loki, Blade and Deadpool join Ghost Rider’s team, named “Samurai Outriders”. So the PlayStation community was not wrong in expecting this group to be one of anti-heroes, but it turns out it’s not the Midnight Sons after all – a fact that, breaking the fourth wall as he’s known to do, Deadpool was quick to point out in Sony’s trailer. All four fighters are unconventional in their own way and ArcSys made sure this translates to how they are presented and played in the context of this game’s team dynamic.

Loki, for instance, seems like a technical fighter that uses deception, illusions, tricks and feints to throw opponents off, break their rhythm and keep them guessing. He does use magic offensively and delivers fast combos with ease, but he looks like a character that needs to be played tactically in order to be highly effective. Blade, on the other hand, plays more like a Devil May Cry-style, combo-heavy fighter that uses projectiles, firearms and his sword to put pressure on opponents and deliver lots of damage quickly.

ArcSys went all out with Deadpool, though – and it’s easy to tell developers had a blast putting him together for fighting game players and loyal Marvel fans to immensely enjoy. Deadpool is as fast, strong and hilariously extravagant in its movement as everyone expects, but he’s also true to its comic origins, using gunplay, twin swords, acrobatics and fast healing to great effect.

What’s more, ArcSys included signature moves from games such as Street Fighter, Tekken, Marvel vs Capcom or Mortal Kombat – as well as many other pop culture references from anime or movies – in Deadpool’s move list, shaping him into the kind of meme character that will launch a million videos on social media.

During the reveal presentation ArcSys and Sony also showed off the fifth, new battle stage of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Asgard, which contains five different areas – Observatory, Bifrost Bridge, Throne Room, Treasure Vault and Yggdrasil – and seems unusually open and extremely well designed. The companies also confirmed that there will be a short, global open beta period for both PS5 and PC owners – on July 24th, 25th and 26th – to try out the game before its official launch on August 6th.

Based on impressions from its latest version, as shown during EVO 2026, the game has come a long way from its early days and it now offers a just as impressive, but much more balanced experience overall – one that will have no trouble attracting commercial interest as well as community support (provided it’s marketed in a way that appeals to both hardcore gamers and mainstream consumers).

There’s still new information coming regarding Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls between now and then – including single-player content, game options, as well as PC- and PS5 Pro-specific optimization – so yours truly will be sure to report on that too. Not long, now!