Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls: second closed beta impressions

December 7, 2025, marked the tip of Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls’ second closed beta on PlayStation 5, which once more made an enormous impression on gamers. Developer Arc System Works introduced the interval in September as a means of exhibiting followers how the title now performs, due to the suggestions given from the primary beta session. 

For these unaware, Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls is a preventing sport that works on a 3v3 tag-team system, that includes a hand-drawn artwork fashion in addition to mechanics like auto combos and throws which are much like Arc System Works’ different title, 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ. In a PlayStation Weblog publish, Kazuto Sekine, Recreation Director and Lead Battle Designer at Arc System Works, revealed how there have been loads of enhancements made this time.

ESI has been enjoying the second Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls beta throughout these three days, and we’ve come away impressed, regardless of experiencing some small points.

The primary Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls beta, held from September 5 to September 7, launched gamers to the gameplay mechanics, the artwork fashion, and extra. However because the interval was damaged up into segments, it was laborious for gamers to get right into a rhythm with Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls. 

This second Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls beta was an enormous enchancment, primarily as a result of it ran uninterrupted for the total 72 hours. This meant that anybody who was capable of play the sport might get used to all eight characters in their very own time throughout the three days. The latest character, Ghost Rider, is a welcome addition this time. 

The character could also be acquainted to those that watched actor Nicholas Cage play him within the 2007 film. However right here, Ghost Rider is totally redeemed as a terrorising close-quarters fighter with some highly effective particular assaults that may be nice as a finisher in lots of matches.

Different characters who have been within the first Marvel Tōkon beta, reminiscent of Captain America, Storm, and Iron Man, all nonetheless management in addition to they did earlier than. What makes Combating Souls work so effectively is how a lot its system can work with three characters without delay. Arc System Works has clearly received the system nailed from 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ. All the things felt tighter on this second beta, with strikes dealing fairer harm and counters working effectively normally.

Nonetheless, there have been a few points that have been new on this second closed beta. There have been occasions when it felt like the sport wasn’t registering my inputs. I might try a combo with Spider-Man, however Dr. Doom would pummel me, leaving me no room to counter or block in time. It’s one thing I didn’t expertise a lot of within the first beta, however right here, it was one in each three matches I performed.

General, although, I got here away impressed as soon as once more. Arc System Works is aware of how the tag-team preventing style works, and Marvel Tōkon is a superb instance of that. At this level, it appears like the sport may very well be launched as Early Entry, very like Riot Video games’ 2XKO at the moment is.

However evidently Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls’ builders wish to take their time in getting each mechanic and character tight, and you may’t assist however respect that strategy.

The cel-shaded artwork fashion is nothing new from Arc System Works. Its previous library has taken full benefit of it, reminiscent of Dragon Ball FighterZ, Responsible Gear: Try, Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising, and extra. However that’s to not say the graphical fashion has change into tiresome – it’s the other.

Certainly, Marvel Tōkon seems improbable when nonetheless, and even higher when the whole lot is happening. 2XKO additionally has the same fashion, however the whole lot seems like a pastel drawing, with no vibrant colours taking on the display. Not so with Arc System Works’ newest, as the whole lot pops, with easy animations that make the whole lot appear to be you’re watching a comic book e-book in movement.

The anime designs of everybody, particularly Iron Man, look unimaginable, and are an enormous testomony to honouring the supply materials however giving it a twist that makes each character appear to be they’ve all the time been on this fashion. With simply eight characters introduced for the Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls roster thus far, it does make us marvel who else goes to get this fashion, particularly whoever finally ends up being the ultimate boss.

The tag-team preventing sport style is again, due to Riot Video games’ 2XKO, and the stunning return of Dragon Ball FighterZ, due to a contemporary patch out there, in addition to a brand new DLC character coming quickly.

However it does appear that, as soon as Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls releases in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC, it’ll be set to be the definitive sport to go to within the style. Its gameplay mechanics are filled with depth, replayability, and quick-thinking that it’ll give gamers that ‘only one extra go’ feeling, much like what Dragon Ball FighterZ nonetheless evokes, all these years later.

Granted, there are some new points from this second closed beta take a look at. Some assaults are unblockable, and others don’t appear to register appropriately. However this is the reason Arc System Works continues to be holding these testing classes, to quash these points earlier than the sport’s 2026 launch. For now, although, the sport is enjoying and looking out nice, and we’ll make sure to go in-depth on the Marvel Tōkon: Combating Souls sport as soon as the total model is made out there.