PlayStation Studios and Arc System Works just announced that the second closed beta for Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls kicks off December 5, 2025, running for 72 straight hours until December 7. Spider-Man and Ghost Rider are joining the playable roster, bringing the total character count to eight alongside two brand new stages. If you played the first beta or registered but didn’t get in, you’re getting priority access this time around.
What’s New in Beta 2
The second closed beta adds Spider-Man and Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider to the playable roster, joining the six fighters from the first beta. That means you’ll have access to Iron Man, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Storm, Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and Ghost Rider for a total of eight characters. Both new fighters were shown at Tokyo Game Show 2025, but this marks the first time players outside convention floors can actually play them.
Two new stages are coming with the beta. The Savage Land, a prehistoric jungle hidden in Antarctica, was revealed at Tokyo Game Show and finally makes its playable debut. The X-Mansion joins as the second new stage, bringing the iconic home of the X-Men into the mix. Both stages feature unique interactive elements that affect gameplay, though specific details about those mechanics haven’t been fully revealed yet. These join Marvel’s New York from the first beta, giving you three distinct battlegrounds to master.
Game director Kazuto Sekine confirmed they’ve implemented numerous improvements based on feedback from the first closed beta in September. The updates include balance adjustments to character movesets, performance optimizations for smoother online play, visual enhancements to animations and effects, and user experience upgrades to menus and matchmaking. The team is specifically promising improved queue times and server stability after players reported connection issues during the first test.
Beta Schedule and Access
The beta launches December 5 at midnight Pacific Time and runs continuously for 72 hours until December 7 at 11:59 PM PT. The structure is split across the three days. On December 5 and 6, you’ll have access to both CPU battles for practice and online matches against real players. December 7 switches to online-only battles, which helps the developers stress test the servers and gather netcode data under maximum load conditions.
If you participated in the first closed beta back in September, you’re automatically registered for this one. PlayStation will send reminder emails in the coming weeks with instructions for downloading the beta client. If you registered for the first beta but didn’t receive an invitation to participate, you might get selected this time around. Check your email for invitation notifications, and keep an eye on spam folders just in case.
New players who want to join can sign up now through the official PlayStation website. There’s no guarantee you’ll get in since access is limited, but registering gives you a shot. Priority goes to previous beta participants and those who registered before but weren’t selected, so if you’re brand new, your chances depend on how many slots remain after that group gets processed.
The 4v4 Tag System Explained
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls uses a unique 4v4 tag team structure that sets it apart from other Marvel fighting games. Each match is best three out of five rounds, with all four characters on your team sharing a single vital gauge. When that shared health bar hits zero, you lose the round. This creates strategic depth around managing your team’s collective survival rather than individual character health pools.
Matches start in a 2v2 format with two fighters per team active on screen. You gradually unlock your third and fourth teammates through stage transitions triggered by landing throws or specific special moves in designated locations. When you hit an opponent with one of these trigger attacks, they go flying through the environment, breaking walls and transitioning the fight to new areas where your remaining teammates join the battle. By the final stage of a match, all eight fighters are involved in complete 4v4 chaos.
The combat system supports both simplified and traditional fighting game inputs, making it accessible for newcomers while maintaining depth for competitive players. You’ve got light, medium, and heavy attack buttons plus a dedicated skill button for special moves. Link attacks let you perform combos by repeatedly pressing attack buttons in sequence. Slam launchers send opponents into the air for juggle combos, and you can finish aerial strings with powerful knockdowns or blowback attacks that send enemies flying.
Super and Ultimate skills are your most damaging options, requiring specific button combinations but dealing massive damage when worked into combos. The tag system allows active switching between your four characters mid-combo, creating extended sequences that alternate between different fighters and keep pressure on opponents. All four team members share resources, so managing meter and health across your entire roster becomes crucial to winning rounds.
How This Game Came Together
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls represents a unique collaboration between three major players. PlayStation Studios initiated the project through their XDev team, which helps external developers create PlayStation exclusive games. Producer Reed Baird pitched the concept to Marvel Games after recognizing an opportunity to create a new first-party fighting game for PlayStation. Marvel had just finished successful collaborations with Sony through the Spider-Man series developed by Insomniac Games, which made them receptive to another partnership.
Sony approached Arc System Works to handle development given their expertise with tag-based fighting games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Arc System Works president Minoru Kidooka had previously expressed interest in pursuing Western IP collaborations to expand the fighting game community’s reach beyond traditional anime fighters. The combination of PlayStation’s first-party resources, Marvel’s character library, and Arc System Works’ fighting game expertise created the foundation for Marvel Tokon.
Arc System Works game director Kazuto Sekine explained they debated between making a traditional 1v1 fighter or going with a 3v3 tag format like Marvel vs Capcom. They ultimately landed on 4v4 to capture the intensity of multiple Marvel characters fighting on screen simultaneously while differentiating themselves from previous Marvel fighting games. The decision emphasizes team-ups and crossover battles that feel unique to the Marvel universe.
The Character Selection Philosophy
Producer Takeshi Yamanaka outlined three criteria for choosing the roster. First, they wanted characters considered the faces of Marvel, which explains why Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man made the cut immediately. Second, they needed balance across different battle types and playstyles to ensure diverse team compositions. Third, they wanted surprises and characters who’ve never appeared in fighting games before.
That philosophy explains some of the more unexpected additions like Ms. Marvel and Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider instead of Johnny Blaze. The team deliberately avoided making this just another greatest hits compilation, instead mixing A-list heroes with deeper cuts that appeal to different segments of Marvel fandom. Fans analyzing background details in the stages have spotted potential hints at other characters like Dazzler, Daredevil, Thor, Wasp, Luna Snow, and The Fantastic Four, though it’s unclear if these are Easter eggs or teases for future roster additions.
The creative approach also emphasizes Japanese pop culture influences. Iron Man’s armor draws inspiration from mecha anime, and Captain America’s voice direction aims for triumphant, expressive delivery similar to shonen protagonists. The game’s subtitle, Tokon, roughly translates to fighting spirit or competitive spirit in Japanese, reflecting the cultural crossover between Marvel’s Western superhero tradition and Arc System Works’ anime fighting game expertise.
What Happens After the Beta
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls launches sometime in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. PlayStation Studios is publishing the console version while handling the PC release differently than typical PlayStation exclusives, likely due to Marvel’s involvement and desire for broader platform reach. The beta feedback will directly inform final balancing, netcode refinement, and user interface improvements before launch.
This represents PlayStation’s first major internally published fighting game in years and their first collaboration with Arc System Works. If successful, it could open doors for more fighting game projects from PlayStation Studios beyond the typical action-adventure and narrative-driven games they’re known for. For Arc System Works, this marks their most high-profile licensed project since Dragon Ball FighterZ launched in 2018, potentially setting up future collaborations with other major Western IP holders.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls second beta start?
The second closed beta launches December 5, 2025 at midnight Pacific Time and runs continuously for 72 hours until December 7 at 11:59 PM PT. Online and CPU battles are available December 5-6, with December 7 being online-only.
How do I get into the Marvel Tokon beta?
Players who participated in the first beta are automatically registered. Those who registered previously but didn’t get in will receive priority for remaining slots. New players can sign up now through the official PlayStation website, though access is limited.
What characters are playable in beta 2?
Eight characters are playable: Iron Man, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Storm, Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and Ghost Rider. Spider-Man and Ghost Rider are the new additions for this beta.
Is Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls a PlayStation exclusive?
The game launches in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. PlayStation Studios is publishing it as part of their first-party lineup, making it exclusive to PlayStation consoles but available on PC as well.
How does the 4v4 system work?
All four characters on your team share one vital gauge in best three of five round matches. Battles start 2v2 and expand to full 4v4 as you trigger stage transitions by landing specific attacks. You can actively tag between your four fighters mid-combo.
When does Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls release?
The full game launches sometime in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC. A specific release date hasn’t been announced yet, though more details will likely emerge after the December beta concludes.
Who is developing Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls?
Arc System Works is developing the game in collaboration with PlayStation Studios and Marvel Games. Arc System Works is known for Dragon Ball FighterZ, Guilty Gear, and BlazBlue.
Conclusion
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls is shaping up to be something genuinely fresh in the Marvel fighting game space. The 4v4 tag system with stage transitions creates a different competitive structure compared to Marvel vs Capcom’s traditional 3v3 format, and Arc System Works’ signature anime-inspired visuals bring Marvel characters to life in a style that looks distinct from previous adaptations. The second closed beta gives PlayStation 5 owners another chance to experience this collaboration between three major players in gaming and entertainment. With Spider-Man and Ghost Rider joining the roster alongside improved netcode, balance changes, and two new interactive stages, December 5 can’t come soon enough for fighting game fans who’ve been waiting for a new Marvel fighter since 2017. Whether you’re an Arc System Works devotee, a Marvel superfan, or just someone who misses the glory days of Marvel vs Capcom, this beta is worth signing up for before slots fill up.