Six weeks after its release, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is experiencing a significant decline in its PC player base on Steam. Despite positive reviews on consoles, the PC version has struggled with performance issues, contributing to a low player count.
The game currently holds a 49 percent positive rating on Steam, a sharp contrast to its 85 Metacritic score on PlayStation 5. Initial peak player counts on Steam reached nearly 25,000, but this figure has since fallen to below 1,000 players.
Sales figures for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls are also reportedly low. Alinea Analytics estimated that the game sold only 740,000 copies across all platforms. When compared to Arc System Works' previous fighting game, Guilty Gear Strive, which sold over 500,000 copies within its first month, Marvel Tōkon's performance is concerning, especially given the broader recognition of the Marvel IP.
Several factors are cited as reasons for the game's struggles on PC. Prior to and during its launch, the game faced scrutiny for being region-locked to only 132 countries on Steam. Additionally, the implementation of an always-online DRM that required a PlayStation account for online features was blamed for performance problems. Some players reported that pirated versions of the game ran better, suggesting the DRM negatively impacted framerates.
Arc System Works has released multiple patches in an attempt to address these issues. While an August 10 patch reportedly fixed some problems, subsequent updates have continued to mention improvements to the PC version. However, player feedback on social media indicates that performance issues persist for many.
Producer Takeshi Yamanaka and the game's director have issued apologies to PC players for the difficult launch. The development team has pledged to continue working on the game, with the director expressing a sincere apology for the frustration caused. The studio acknowledges that the current player numbers are not sustainable, especially with a DLC roadmap extending to September 2027.
Looking ahead, the long-term support for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls remains uncertain. While Arc System Works has a history of supporting its titles, overcoming a troubled launch with such a dramatic drop in player engagement presents a significant challenge. The upcoming release of Cyclops as DLC may provide a temporary boost, but its impact on the game's overall longevity is yet to be seen.