Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls finalized its 20-fighter roster at the July open beta and confirmed a 2026 PC release on Steam and Epic. The combo of Arc System Works' anime-style art, a 4v4 tag system, and the deepest Marvel roster outside Capcom's mid-2000s catalog has the fighting game community paying attention. The problem is the wait. We pulled seven Steam fighting games that scratch the same itch right now, weighing the tag-team feel, character depth, online netcode, and how steep the entry curve actually is for a casual buyer who just wants to land a combo.
The picks below favor games with rollback netcode, active matchmaking, and a roster deep enough to keep you busy past the first weekend. Pricing was current at the time of writing and shifts with Steam seasonal sales.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Studio | Tag system | Roster size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection | Closest Marvel-tag heritage | Capcom | Yes, classic 2v2 and 3v3 | 7 classic titles |
| Guilty Gear Strive | Same studio, modern netcode | Arc System Works | No (1v1) | 30+ with season passes |
| Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | Anime-style accessibility | Arc System Works | No (1v1) | 30+ |
| DNF Duel | Cinematic 2D combat | Arc System Works | No (1v1) | 17+ |
| Street Fighter 6 | Modern controls + huge player base | Capcom | No (1v1) | 30+ |
| Tekken 8 | 3D fighter with Heat assist | Bandai Namco | Heat system (one-button assist) | 30+ |
| Skullgirls 2nd Encore | Indie 2D tag team | Lab Zero / Future Club | Yes, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 | 16 |
Why people are looking for Marvel Tōkon alternatives
The most common reason is the wait. The PC release is locked to 2026 with no firm month at the time of writing, the open beta closed in July, and there is no early-access track. Players who want to start grinding tag-team fundamentals now have to look elsewhere. The second is roster overlap. The 20-character launch roster covers the headline Avengers and X-Men but skips a lot of the deep cuts that older Marvel vs. Capcom games included, which sent collection-buyers back to the Capcom catalogue.
Third, the 4v4 tag system is a genuine break from how most modern fighters work. People who tried the beta and liked the assist juggling are now hunting for the closest tag-team fighter that ships today, and the historical short list is short: the old Marvel vs. Capcom games, Skullgirls, and a handful of King of Fighters titles. Finally, anyone uneasy about the Epic-and-Steam-only PC release wants a fighter that ships through more storefronts and supports cross-play with consoles out of the box.
The alternatives
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, best for the closest Marvel-tag heritage
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics bundles seven of the original Marvel-meets-Capcom tag fighters, including X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Capcom added rollback netcode to all seven, redrew the menus, and shipped a 500-page art-and-history museum that doubles as a primer on the fighter conventions Arc System Works is now updating. For anyone who cares about Marvel tag-team fighting the most, this is the closest the storefront gets right now.
Where it falls short: The base games are still 4:3 era sprite work, and the controls are arcade-tight rather than modern-friendly. Anti-cheat keeps the games out of Steam Deck verified status, though they run.
Pricing:
- Free: no
- Paid: around $50, sometimes lower in seasonal Steam sales
- vs Marvel Tōkon: lower asking price, dramatically older art, real rollback netcode today
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls (when it releases): No data to migrate. Save data for the collection lives in cloud sync, and the muscle memory for tag swaps in MvC2 transfers cleanly to the Tōkon assist system.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2706180/MARVEL_vs_CAPCOM_Fighting_Collection_Arcade_Classics/)
Bottom line: The right pick if your interest in Tōkon is the Marvel tag-team lineage specifically and you can live with retro art.
Guilty Gear Strive, best same-studio fundamentals
Guilty Gear Strive is the cleanest way to learn the Arc System Works combat language Marvel Tōkon will share. The roman cancel system, the wall-break finishers, and the deep training-mode tooling all carry over. Strive runs the same Unreal-based netcode Tōkon will use in production, lobbies are populated daily, and the season-pass roster keeps growing with each yearly drop. The entry curve is gentler than most anime fighters because every character has a one-button reversal and Roman Cancels are forgiving on input.
Where it falls short: It is 1v1, not tag-team, so the team-management muscle Tōkon needs is not what you train here. Some season-pass characters are sold individually instead of as a bundle.
Pricing:
- Free: a free starter pack rotates the playable roster, with online matchmaking limited
- Paid: base game from around $40, season passes from around $25 each
- vs Marvel Tōkon: cheaper entry, same studio's combat DNA, no tag system
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. Familiarity with Strive's Roman Cancel and gatling chain inputs transfers directly to Tōkon, and Arc System Works typically reuses the training-mode UI across releases.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1384160/GUILTY_GEAR_STRIVE/)
Bottom line: The default pick for someone who wants to be ready for Tōkon on day one and is fine investing in a 1v1 game first.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, best for anime-style accessibility
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is the most welcoming Arc System Works fighter on the storefront. The Easy Input mode reduces special moves to a single button, the rollback netcode is the best of any current Arc release, and the cross-play between Steam and PlayStation pools the matchmaking deeper than most fighters can. Rising adds the Bravery Points meter and the Triple Threat mode that lets three players occupy a single side of the screen, which is the closest thing on the storefront to a casual tag-team feel.
Where it falls short: The mainline mode is still 1v1. Some legacy GBVS owners had to repurchase characters at the Rising relaunch.
Pricing:
- Free: yes, the Free Edition includes online matchmaking and a rotating subset of characters
- Paid: full edition from around $35, character passes from around $30
- vs Marvel Tōkon: free starter version, very gentle inputs, no permanent tag team but Triple Threat mode is close
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. Players who land combos with Easy Input in GBVS will transition cleanly to Tōkon's likely simplified-input scheme.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2492040/Granblue_Fantasy_Versus_Rising/)
Bottom line: The best try-before-you-buy on the list, especially if simplified inputs sold you on the Tōkon beta.
DNF Duel, best for cinematic 2D combat
DNF Duel takes the Dungeon Fighter Online cast and rebuilds them as a 2D fighter with Arc System Works' usual production polish. The Awakening mechanic, which gives every character a comeback super at low health, mirrors what Tōkon's beta hinted at for late-round team rotations. Online play uses rollback, the lobby system is straightforward, and the cast leans visually striking in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who likes the Tōkon art direction.
Where it falls short: Smaller roster than the headline anime fighters and updates have slowed since launch. The Awakening mechanic can feel one-note after a few hours.
Pricing:
- Free: no
- Paid: around $50 base, season pass adds four characters for about $15
- vs Marvel Tōkon: pricier than Strive at launch, less long-term content, same studio's combat polish
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. The neutral game and meter management in DNF Duel translate cleanly to most Arc fighters.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1761220/DNF_Duel/)
Bottom line: A mid-table pick that lands well for buyers who specifically liked the Tōkon art and wanted more of it.
Street Fighter 6, best modern controls and player base
Street Fighter 6 is the biggest fighting game on Steam by active player count and the easiest place to find a match at any hour. The Modern controls scheme cuts every special move to one button plus a direction, World Tour mode teaches the underlying mechanics through a 20-hour single-player campaign, and the Battle Hub lets you queue for matches while practicing in a side cabinet. None of it is tag-team, but it is the most welcoming fighter on the storefront for someone whose last fighting game was a long time ago.
Where it falls short: No tag system at all. Some season passes lock costume content behind Fighter Coins that take real money to top up cleanly.
Pricing:
- Free: World Tour demo gives the first chapter, plus a rotating free-week character cabinet
- Paid: from around $60 for the base game, Year Passes from around $30
- vs Marvel Tōkon: comparable price, much deeper single-player content, no tag system
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. The fundamentals SF6 drills (anti-air, throw breaks, frame data reading) carry over to any fighter, including Tōkon.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364780/Street_Fighter_6/)
Bottom line: Pick this if the priority is finding matches fast and learning fundamentals before Tōkon arrives.
Tekken 8, best for 3D fighters with one-button assists
Tekken 8 brings the 3D fighter back with its strongest production values in a decade and a Heat system that approximates a one-button assist call. The Special Style toggle lets new players land combos with single buttons while a Heat Burst doubles as a get-off-me option for moments where Tōkon players would tap in a teammate. The Tekken Ball party mode and the cross-platform matchmaking with PS5 and Xbox Series consoles keep the queue deep at every hour.
Where it falls short: The 3D plane changes how spacing works and is a real adjustment from anything 2D. Some unlockable items live behind the Tekken Coin currency.
Pricing:
- Free: no, but Bandai Namco runs free play weekends every few months
- Paid: from around $60, season passes from around $30
- vs Marvel Tōkon: comparable price, 3D rather than 2D, Heat system replaces a true tag
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. Tekken builds different muscle memory from a 2D anime fighter, so treat it as a side investment rather than a direct prep tool.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1778820/TEKKEN_8/)
Bottom line: Pick Tekken 8 if a 3D arena is appealing and you can treat the Heat system as a softer cousin to Tōkon's tag.
Skullgirls 2nd Encore, best for indie 2D tag team
Skullgirls 2nd Encore is the indie 2D tag team on Steam that gets closest to the Marvel vs. Capcom feel without paying full sequel money. You pick one, two, or three characters per side, and a smaller team gets stronger individuals, which mirrors what early Tōkon discussion suggests for team building. The Skullgirls Mobile player base keeps the lobby system populated, the rollback netcode is GGPO-based and reliable, and the 16-character roster covers wildly different archetypes.
Where it falls short: Smaller roster than the mainline anime fighters. Some buyers were unhappy with character roadmap pauses during the Future Club transition.
Pricing:
- Free: no, but the demo includes a full character and online lobby access
- Paid: around $25 base, all-character pass from around $20
- vs Marvel Tōkon: dramatically cheaper, smaller roster, genuine tag-team mechanics today
Migrating from Marvel Tōkon (when it releases): No save migration. Skullgirls' assist call and team-management muscle memory transfers directly to any tag fighter, including Tōkon.
Download: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/245170/Skullgirls_2nd_Encore/)
Bottom line: The right pick if the budget is tight and the tag mechanics are the only Tōkon feature you want to start drilling.
How to choose
Pick Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection if Marvel tag-team specifically is the draw and you can accept retro art. Nothing else on the storefront has the Marvel licence plus the tag heritage today.
Pick Guilty Gear Strive if learning the same studio's combat language matters more than the tag system, and you want a fighter you will still play after Tōkon ships.
Pick Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising if you tried the Tōkon beta with Easy Input enabled and want to keep using simplified inputs. The Free Edition lets you start at zero cost.
Pick DNF Duel if the Tōkon art specifically pulled you in and you want more of that look from the same studio.
Pick Street Fighter 6 if your priority is finding matches at 3 a.m. and learning fundamentals that apply to every fighter.
Pick Tekken 8 if a 3D fighter has been on your list and you can wait for Tōkon by spending the next six months on a different combat plane.
Pick Skullgirls 2nd Encore if the tag mechanic is the only Tōkon feature you want to practice right now and budget is a constraint.
Wait for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls if you can hold out until release and want the full 4v4 system in the studio's most ambitious fighter in years.
FAQ
Is Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls coming to PC?
Yes. PlayStation Studios, Arc System Works, and Marvel Games confirmed the 2026 release on PS5, Steam, and Epic Games Store. No firm calendar date was set at the time of writing.
Which fighting game is closest to Marvel Tōkon today?
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is the closest licensing match, and Skullgirls 2nd Encore is the closest mechanical match for the tag-team play. Strive is the closest match for the underlying Arc System Works combat language.
Do any of these fighters have rollback netcode?
Every fighter on this list ships rollback netcode in some form, either GGPO-based or a publisher-built equivalent. Match quality on a wired connection is generally good across the picks.
What is the best free fighting game on Steam to prepare for Marvel Tōkon?
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising's Free Edition is the best zero-cost entry. It includes a rotating roster and full online matchmaking. The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection occasionally runs free-weekend events for owners of other Capcom titles.
Will Marvel Tōkon support cross-play with consoles?
Arc System Works confirmed Steam and Epic at PC launch alongside PS5. Cross-play between PC and PS5 was not formally confirmed at the time of writing.
Is Marvel Tōkon a sequel to Marvel vs. Capcom?
No. Tōkon is a separate Marvel collaboration with PlayStation Studios and Arc System Works, not a Capcom-published successor. Capcom continues to ship the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection alongside it.
