How ArcSystem Works Is Defining Its Own Version of Magneto in Marvel Tokon

When Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was first revealed at a Sony State of Play, the excitement from the fighting game community was immediate. However, that reception cooled slightly following the game's initial beta, which faced criticism regarding its tag and assist mechanics. Since then, developer ArcSystem Works has been working closely with the community to refine the experience. At Evo 2026, I sat down with Battle Director Kazuto Sekine, Producer Takeshi Yamanaka, and Marvel Games Senior Producer Michael Francisco to discuss the game's evolution and the specific approach to crafting its roster.

Refining the Fighting Experience

According to Sekine, the post-beta development process has been defined by a constant dialogue with players. "We’ve been able to maintain the core of the mechanics, while also having this continued communication between ourselves and the player base," Sekine explained. "I feel that this process has helped us achieve both the direction we are looking for from a development perspective, as well as the experience the players are looking for."

For the team at Marvel Games, this feedback loop is vital. "We understand that the FGC is one of the most hardcore communities in all of gaming," Francisco said. "We understand it comes from a place of love and people want the game to succeed."

Building a New Vision for Magneto

One of the most anticipated characters in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is Magneto. Given his storied history as a top-tier threat in past games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and 3 the team felt a significant weight of expectation. However, Sekine noted that their goal was not to replicate the past, but to create the "coolest possible version" of the character through the lens of ArcSystem Works.

"We really wanted to take his magnetic abilities and make that the center of his battle mechanics," Sekine said. "He creates debris which he can use to form weapons, or he can draw the opponent in towards him. We have this magnetized state that he can inflict on the opponent, which creates an aspect of Magneto we haven't really seen in games before."

The team went to great lengths to make these mechanics feel authentic. Francisco noted that the team at Marvel requested that ArcSystem Works emphasize Magneto's control over metal as much as possible. This includes visual details like the debris on screen changing based on the stage, such as New York or the Ice Mansion. "It's actually really hard to achieve from a design and technical standpoint," Francisco noted, "but he feels more like a zoner or a conductor that's warping the battlefield to put you at a disadvantage."

Deep Research and Comic Authenticity

When asked about the team’s familiarity with the source material, Yamanaka admitted that the Japanese development team started with less knowledge than their Western counterparts but made a concerted effort to immerse themselves in the Marvel Universe. "The bookshelf that we have on the development floor is now filled with comics," Yamanaka said. "We had staff members who are big fans, and we used services like Marvel Unlimited to study the characters."

The research went deeper than just reading. The team consulted with Akitomo-san, who handled official Japanese translations for the comics, and the developers used specific panels from the source material as references for their key animation frames. "Every attack in the game, they found a panel from the comics they used as a reference for their key frames," Francisco added. "They know their stuff."