Summer Game Fest revealed a host of new games for players to enjoy, which included Marvel Tōkon and Invincible VS, among many others.
Both are tag-based fighting games which feature a unique cast of playable characters from their universe in a highly stylised package.
These new games may cause concern for Riot Games, who has been developing their own fighting game 2XKO for many years.
What are Invincible VS, MARVEL Tōkon and 2XKO?
At the Xbox showcase during the Summer Game Fest, it was announced that the Invincible franchise would launch its own fighting game, titled ‘Invincible VS’.
Set in the brutal world of Invincible (and its parallel dimensions), the cast of characters would face off in a 3v3 tag fighter for survival.
Developed by Quarter Up in collaboration with Skybound Entertainment, Invincible VS is set to release in 2026 alongside an original story.
Mimicking the show’s extreme levels of violence, Invincible VS’ finishers are more akin to Mortal Kombat than, despite the fun Street Fighter looks.
Currently, the list of playable characters includes:
- Invincible
- Atom Eve
- Omni-Man (shown in trailer but not confirmed yet)
- Rex Splode (shown in trailer but not confirmed yet)
- Bulletproof
- Thula
- Lucan (shown in trailer but not confirmed yet)
Meanwhile, in another comic book universe, Marvel Tōkon was announced to be the latest fighting game featuring the beloved characters.
Developed by Arc System Works, Marvel Tōkon is a unique tag-based fighting game with a unique four-man roster in each fight.
The game features anime-esque visual designs mixed with Western comic book style, in a blend of fantastically exaggerated designs and animations.
Marvel Tōkon is being developed by Arc System Works, known for titles such as Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, the Persona 4 Arena games, and Dragon Ball FighterZ.
In the announcement trailer, they teased a 2026 release, with the roster of Marvel characters so far being:
- Captain America (Steve Rogers)
- Doctor Doom
- Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes)
- Iron Man
- Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
- Star-Lord
- Storm
The final fighter to go into the ring is Riot Games’ 2XKO, set to release later this year.
Originally titled Project L, the game was initially revealed in Riot Games’ 10th anniversary video back in 2019.
Since then, the game has undergone many changes, including most notably the art style to closely follow their hit show in the same universe, Arcane.
Also a tag fighter, 2XKO’s philosophy from the start was an easy-to-pick-up game with a high skill ceiling.
The game will feature characters from the world of League of Legends, including:
- Ahri
- Braum
- Darius
- Ekko
- Illaoi
- Jinx
- Yasuo
However, the project has been in development for almost seven years, which has left fans frustrated and allowed competitors to quickly threaten its release.
Fighting game fans react
Since the announcement of MARVEL Tōkon and Invincible VS, many fans felt frustrated to see other tag-based fighting games be released so soon after their announcement.
Both are still in development and set to release next year, however this is a reasonably short time in comparison to 2XKO, which is still yet to announce an exact release date.
On social media, users were quick to turn on 2XKO to vent their frustration.
Meanwhile, the 2XKO subreddit imploded as users split between those loyal to 2XKO and Riot Games and those who were frustrated at the long development of the game.
Is 2XKO too late for Riot Games?
To preface, it takes a long time to develop a video game, and each of these titles has had different development cycles, with 2XKO’s being the most public
However, Riot Games’ may have been too comfortable in their position as the only stylised tag-based fighting game with an established audience.
With the exception of Arc System Works developed, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and the poorly received Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
Riot Games has left it too long, as major competitors have now entered the space before the game’s release.
Moreover, a precise release date has not been set for 2XKO, leaving many fans to decide if it’s worth waiting for one of their competitors.
However, 2XKO has the advantage in two key areas, release and price.
2XKO is currently slated to release this year, while Marvel Tōkon and Invincible VS will come out on an yet to be announced date in the following year.
This will give the game a good amount of time to draw in a build its core audience, having had time to fall in love with the game.
The other aspect in 2XKO’s favour is that it’s free to play.
Opposed to Marvel Tōkon and Invincible VS’ industry standard price tag, Riot Games has always favoured a free-to-play model.
This will draw in a wider audience who might have otherwise been put off by the price of entry.
Moreover, the success of Arcane spawned a dedicated audience for the characters and world of League of Legends.
Putting all this together, it’s more likely that these will find their own place in the market of tag-based fighting games.
Each with its own dedicated core audience, which would keep the game going for years to come.
Covers: League of Legends, Valorant, UK esports, and global esports and gaming news.
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