One of the games I was most excited to revisit at EVO 2026 was Marvel Tōkon. I first got my hands on it at EVO 2025, and while my demo was only a short amount of time, I walked away impressed. The game was absolutely beautiful, the presentation was top-notch, and it immediately captured that over-the-top Marvel energy that makes these games so much fun to watch and play. Even with such limited time, I knew it had the potential to become something special.
When the beta launched later in the year, I finally had the opportunity to spend an entire weekend with the game. While I still thought it was one of the best-looking fighting games in development, I also understood many of the concerns being raised by the fighting game community. The gameplay felt a little too simple, player expression was somewhat limited, and it didn’t quite feel like there was enough depth to keep competitors experimenting long-term.
After spending time with the latest build at EVO 2026, I can honestly say that the developers have done exactly that.
In over 35 years of playing fighting games, I can’t remember another developer taking community feedback and implementing it this effectively while still staying true to their original vision. Marvel Tōkon still delivers the fast, explosive action that made such a strong first impression, but the mechanics now feel much more rewarding. The assists, tag system, and overall team dynamics create far more opportunities for creativity, making every match feel unique without losing the accessibility that originally made the game so inviting.
I also had the chance to spend time with several of the roster additions, including Magneto, Magik, Wolverine, Black Panther, and Peni Parker, and every one of them brought something different to the table. Magneto is now a trap/setup character. Magik is amazing with her ability to teleport and use portals. Wolverine is exactly the relentless rushdown character fans would expect, but he’s not the Logan you remember from Marvel vs Capcom. Black Panther’s (Shuri) speed and mobility make her incredibly satisfying to play. Lastly Peni Parker is another unique character take, her ability to send random items out the the field, and OTG mix up was fun! I didn’t get the opportunity to play Hulk, Carnage, or Hobgoblin, but the characters I did experience left me wanting even more time with the game.
The biggest compliment I can give Marvel Tōkon is that it no longer feels like a game trying to figure itself out. It feels confident. More importantly, it feels like a game that trusted its community enough to listen without abandoning its identity. That’s a difficult balance to strike, and I think the team has done an outstanding job.
I walked away from the booth even more excited than I was a year ago. If this version of Marvel Tōkon is any indication of what’s coming at launch, I genuinely believe it has the potential to become one of the biggest games on the EVO stage next year. More than anything, I’m excited to see what the fighting game community does with it once everyone finally gets their hands on the full release.
