Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta — three things to enhance its esports appeal

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls was a surprise to many when it was revealed in June this year. Developed by Arc System Works, known for Dragon Ball FighterZ, Guilty Gear: Strive, and more, the 4v4 tag-team fighter made a big impression, thanks to its anime-inspired art style and fast gameplay, some of which reminded fans of the Marvel vs Capcom series.

Set for release next year for PlayStation 5 and PC, you can play as several characters all sharing one health bar, which only adds to the tension and fun of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. But you won’t have to wait too long to play the game, as Arc System Works has announced a closed beta running between September 5 and 7. Those successful in getting in will be able to choose from eight characters in various online battles.

With the closed beta weeks away, we put forward the case as to why the two-day event could appeal to those involved in esports in various ways.

Currently, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is reportedly in the beta stage, where everything is ‘content complete’, meaning the game can be played in a mostly finished form. However, things may be missing, as placeholders, or simply not working. With a release date of next year and the closed beta occurring next month, the next step will likely be refinements on the gameplay, like balancing attack damage, defence, and how specific moves are done with some characters.

Usually, with a closed beta in fighting games yet to be released, they’re held online, so the developers can see how the game works in many countries with different internet speeds and player skill bases. However, some of these games eventually make their way to esports, where the player base can explode, thanks to the exposure that some of these events have. Game-balancing patches are eventually released due to player feedback, as well as refinements to the game itself, like the user interface and even new modes. But if the closed beta of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls were to appeal to those in the esports scene already, it could use the following three ways to hit the ground running once the title launches next year.

Of course, most esports matches are held locally in one place, so players can compete without the risk of low latency and lag over an internet connection. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ closed beta could offer a closed LAN event for esports players, held in various cities over the two-day beta period. This would enable Arc System Works to capture the fights in real time and receive feedback from these prolific players, such as the moves, damage dealt, counters, etc.

Although it’s called a ‘closed beta’, since it’s invite-only, there should be a way for these players to capture footage and give their opinions via their own channels. This way, it can generate more hype for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and build an early foundation for how it could work at esports events.

Tournaments are part and parcel of esports, which is why it could be great for a mode to be available in the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta next month. Although it could be similar to having offline matches like the above, in a tournament-style layout, this can go further for esports organisers themselves. They can see how their branding can work as an overlay over these matches being played and use special spectator features like quick replays, slow-motion moments for attacks, stage selections, and more.

These could be used by the organisers during the closed beta period with a select group of players in this tournament mode to see how the game could work at an esports event, and in turn, give feedback to Arc System Works as to how certain parts of the mode could be improved for their events and branding tools.

A great way to keep a game’s momentum going at esports events is through future content updates, like new characters, stages, and cosmetics. The recent EVO event is a great example of this, announcing the final character and a new stage for Tekken 8 Season 2 in between matches. For Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, it’s going to be released at a unique time when the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will be launching the next Avengers movie, Doomsday, in December 2026. This means that its marketing for it, like trailers and merch, will be available for most of the year before the movie is even out. For the closed beta, there could be subliminal hints to this approach, especially with Doctor Doom being playable during the two-day beta period, as he’s the main antagonist for the upcoming Marvel movies.

These factors could be to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ benefit, as seasons and story arcs could touch on the multiversal aspect of what the MCU has been showcasing for several years now, and it could all start as a prologue via the closed beta. Costumes influenced by the movie versions of Doctor Doom and Spider-Man could be a great pull to new players, for example, as well as teasing future teamups and characters, like the X-Men. It seems like a natural fit to see these announcements held at esports events for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and could draw in far more new players and viewers than usual, both during the closed beta period and when it’s eventually released.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ Closed Beta has a unique opportunity when it comes to esports. It can showcase what it’s capable of to players and organisers alike who are involved in the industry. They can see how the game stacks up against other fighters like Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6.

If the closed beta features unique offline matches and a tournament mode for those involved in esports, it could help give developer Arc System Works the knowledge to refine and improve the game before its 2026 release, making it a strong candidate for esports events without making any major post-release patches.

With September 5 weeks away, it’s going to be interesting to see how the game is perceived. But with a glowing reception since its June reveal, we’d be surprised if the game didn’t appear at several esports events as soon as it’s released next year.