Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, the latest 4v4 tag fighting game, has encountered a rocky launch on PC, with players reporting a range of significant technical difficulties. While console versions of the game appear to be performing adequately, PC users are experiencing issues that have led to a "mixed" user score on Steam, with many negative reviews citing performance problems.
Players have described problems ranging from an inability to launch the game, with some encountering black screens and excessive CPU usage, to persistent micro-stuttering that negatively impacts gameplay, particularly during online matches. One user, Lameme14, detailed on Steam how the anti-cheat software, coupled with multiple instances of the PlayStation PC SDK, prevented the game from launching, requiring extensive troubleshooting to even reach the title screen. Even after managing to load the game, the same user reported terrible performance with constant jitters.
These performance drops, even if brief, can have a cascading effect on the online experience. The game's rollback netcode attempts to compensate for lost frames by adjusting the on-screen action to ensure synchronization between players. However, when players on either side of a match are suffering from stuttering, this netcode adjustment can lead to a degraded experience for everyone involved, regardless of individual PC hardware capabilities.
Furthermore, the game has been criticized for its lack of Linux support. Users like Vestige have pointed out that there is a precedent for fighting games, including titles published by Sony and games from developer Arc System Works, to function well on Linux. The current implementation of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is reportedly hostile to Linux players, requiring significant workarounds, such as using a Windows boot drive, to even become functional, as demonstrated by producer Karim Jovian.
In response to the growing number of complaints, the developers of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls have acknowledged the technical problems on social media and stated that they are actively investigating the reported issues. In the interim, some players have found temporary solutions, including console players disabling crossplay with PC to improve their experience. The open beta for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was generally well-received, making the current PC launch issues particularly disappointing for fans eager to jump into the 4v4 tag fighting action.