Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has received a significant patch aimed at fixing the myriad performance and stability issues that have affected its Windows PC version since launch. The fighting game, developed by Arc System Works, has garnered a "Mixed" rating on Steam, with many of the over 2,600 player reviews citing poor optimization, low frame rates, and a mandatory PSN account requirement as major complaints.
Released last week, Marvel Tokon ran significantly better on PlayStation 5 compared to its PC counterpart. Following a weekend where players experimented with various workarounds, Arc System Works released a patch on Monday. The update is specifically designed to "reduc[e] performance issues, improving stability, and addressing some specific problems," according to official patch notes posted on Discord. Initial player reports on the game's subreddit suggest the patch has successfully resolved many of these issues.
Players have shared positive feedback, with one user stating, "My computer can now run it very smoothly on high settings. I was stuck on low settings all weekend. It’s runs way faster for me in all aspects." Another commented, "It's perfect for me now."
PC players are advised to re-warm shaders after downloading the latest patch for an optimal experience, as per the patch notes. The update also includes improved auto graphics quality settings that better detect and select a graphics profile suited to a system's specifications.
The patch notes detail several technical improvements, including reduced CPU usage by addressing an issue that caused high CPU load during the startup process and periodic audio processing during matches. Sudden performance drops have also been tackled by fixing an issue where the game regularly checked for available audio inputs, which could cause frame rate dips. Furthermore, frame rate drops occurring at certain resolutions have been resolved.
Beyond performance, the update includes bug fixes for battle settings, preventing customization items or colors from reverting to default upon restarting the game, and online lobby issues where attack button displays could lead to unresponsiveness in mini-games.
Despite the rocky PC launch, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is described as an enjoyable experience, though some critics noted that its core movement feels sluggish. Polygon's Elijah Gonzalez wrote that the game "feels at war with itself, attempting to appeal to newcomers and genre veterans without fully satisfying either." The 4v4 tag-fighter features 20 Marvel characters, with more planned through its year-one downloadable content.
Arc System Works has thanked players for their feedback and stated they are committed to "ongoing work to improve performance, stability, and the overall experience."