Experience the Marvel Universe like never before with reimagined characters and stages, a heart-pounding soundtrack, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether this is your first fighting game or you are a veteran of the genre, Arc has incorporated gameplay controls and mechanics that are easy to pick up and play, and yet still offer the depth and versatility for high level competition.

Enter the fray with iconic Marvel heroes and villains such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) – each with Arc’s unique twist on their character designs and gameplay styles.

From short-ranged jabs to the cinematic Ultimate Skills, each character features a bespoke set of Normal, Special, and Unique attacks inspired by their abilities and powers in Marvel lore. Arc have gone to great lengths to ensure that gameplay style, movement, and feel of these legendary characters is fresh, new, and wholly unique to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

But it’s not just the individual gameplay of the characters that has been enhanced; significant dedication has gone into reimagining and redefining what it means to be a tag team fighter.

The stages come to life in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, filled with easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans to find. Most stages also feature multiple areas. These transitions between areas are not just action-packed and stunning to witness, but they also play a strategic role.

Arriving on November 2, Phoenix Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) brings a unique fighting style that combines a wide variety of Optic Blast attacks with the devastating power of the Phoenix Force. On the same day, Cyclops’ “Classic” and “Legacy” DLC costumes will also become available.

If you’ve been waiting for Cyclops to join MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls and haven’t picked up the game yet, now is a great time to jump in. The game’s first-ever sale on PlayStation Store begins today, ahead of his arrival with the Ultimate Edition available at a discounted price.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be able to try MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls with a 3-hour Game Trial starting today.

Today, I’d like to share more about why we chose Phoenix Cyclops instead of the traditional version of Cyclops, the thought process behind his character design, his gameplay mechanics, and the inspiration behind his DLC costumes.

Why Phoenix Cyclops?

Early in development, Cyclops was one of the leading candidates to join the roster as a member of the Unbreakable X-Men team.

Cyclops has appeared in numerous Marvel fighting games over the years, and his visual identity and battle style have become firmly established through that long history. Because of that, we challenged ourselves to explore whether there was a way to present him in a style that felt different from what players had seen before. This became a major topic of discussion within the team.

During those discussions, our narrative team proposed the idea of using the Phoenix version of Cyclops. We felt this interpretation would allow us to create fresher visuals and a more exciting fighting style while offering something unexpected for players.

As a result, we made the difficult decision to continue working on the character until we felt like we were adding something new to his fighting game legacy. As a result, we’re excited to now release Phoenix Cyclops as our first post-launch DLC character.

Character design

Phoenix Cyclops hopes to tame a destructive power to save mutantkind from extinction. This version of Scott Summers believes in absolute justice and is willing to make difficult decisions and take extreme actions when necessary.

At the same time, we wanted to convey the inner conflict and emotional burden that comes with those choices. To help express that side of his personality, we intentionally gave him a somewhat younger appearance to contrast the incredible aura of the Phoenix Force. With Phoenix Cyclops’ transformed state, we wanted to illustrate his shift from idealistic leader to fiery corruption.  

While the overall Phoenix costume remains faithful to its source material, we incorporated details and visual touches inspired by the comics throughout the design process. Above all, our goal was simple: to make him look as cool as possible.

Gameplay and skills

Cyclops is designed as an all-rounder who excels at both long-range combat and close-range strikes through his versatile use of Optic Blasts.

Empowered by the Phoenix Force, he can also unleash wide-area fire-based attacks that control large portions of the screen. In addition to projectiles, rushing attacks, throws, and setup tools, he has access to a wide variety of Optic Blast techniques.

As players continue to use Optic Blasts, they accumulate Phoenix Force energy called Solar Shards. Once four Solar Shards have been collected, Cyclops can transform into his Dark Phoenix form.

This mechanic was inspired by the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, in which Cyclops became one of the Phoenix Five and eventually absorbed the power of his fellow teammates, transforming into Dark Phoenix.

Entering Dark Phoenix form grants a significant temporary power boost, but it also comes with risks, including health depletion.

The Phoenix Force is both an incredible source of power and a path to destruction. Successfully managing and controlling that power will be one of the keys to victory.

DLC costumes

When we decided to make Phoenix Cyclops the base version of the character, we understood that many fans would prefer the classic appearance they have known and loved for years.

This isn’t unique to Cyclops. Anyone who grew up reading comics or watching animated adaptations has their own vision of what these characters should look like.

Because of that, whenever we significantly reinterpret a character’s design or choose a relatively uncommon version of a character, we approach development with the expectation that classic-inspired costumes should also be available.

The “Classic” and “Legacy” costumes were created with that philosophy in mind. We hope players enjoy experiencing Phoenix Cyclops in whichever style they prefer.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is available for PS5 and PC.