Green Goblin Joins Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta as Surprise 16th Fighter
Arc System Works has added Green Goblin to the playable lineup for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ open beta, bumping the test’s roster to 16 characters just days before the fighter’s August 6 launch. The open beta’s playable character selection was previously announced to feature 15 of the full game’s 20-strong roster, but it’s now bumped that up to 16. The surprise addition lands alongside Blade, who is also making his first-ever playable appearance in the game during the same test.
Read also: Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta: July 24-26 on PS5, PC, No Sign-Up Needed
A Pumpkin-Bomb Surprise for the Knights of Doom
Developer Arc System Works has confirmed that Green Goblin will be playable during the test, announced with this short video on social media: “I’m here! The greatest! The greenest!” The clip, posted to the official Marvel Tōkon account, continued with the villain declaring himself “I’m here! The greatest! The greenest! The murder king! Hyaahahaha!”
Norman Osborn’s alter ego slots into the Knights of Doom faction alongside Doctor Doom and Magneto. Obsessed with defeating Spider-Man, Green Goblin showcases both his twisted personality and relentless determination, riding his bat-shaped glider to excel at high-speed movement, using a wide variety of projectile weapons such as Razor Bats and Pumpkin Bombs to harass opponents before swooping in for devastating aerial assaults. The character is voiced by veteran voice actor Steve Blum, as confirmed in Arc System Works’ original character reveal.
Blade’s Playable Debut Rounds Out the Samurai Outriders
Green Goblin isn’t the only fresh face for testers this weekend. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is almost ready for action as its August release date looms, but the open beta comes first, and he and Blade will make their playable debut in the game during the open beta at the end of this week. Blade joins the Samurai Outriders team, which is led by Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) and was fully unveiled during the EVO 2026 main stage.
With both characters now confirmed, only four names from the full 20-fighter launch roster remain untested by the public. Alongside Blade from the recently revealed Samurai Outriders, that means fans will have 16 characters to check out, short of just Carnage, Deadpool, Loki, and Hulk.
Open Beta Runs July 24-26 With No Sign-Up Required
The test itself was detailed by PlayStation ahead of the Green Goblin reveal. The Open Beta will be available on PlayStation 5 console, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, with no registration required: simply download the Open Beta from your platform store and start playing. Pre-downloads will be available two hours before the Open Beta goes live, and a PlayStation Plus subscription is not required, though all players will need an internet connection and an Account for PlayStation to access the test on both PS5 and PC.
Beyond online matches, testers get a broader slice of the finished game than in prior closed tests. For the first time, players will also get an early look at Episode Mode, playing through the first three chapters of the Amazing Guardians storyline as Spider-Man begins assembling his team to confront a mysterious threat descending upon Earth. That single-player campaign is scripted by comics writer Kieron Gillen, according to ComicBook.com’s rundown of the beta’s contents.
What NZ and AU Players Should Know Before Logging In
PlayStation has scheduled the test to run for a full 72 hours, from July 24 at 12:00am PT through to July 26 at 11:59pm PT. Converted to the current New Zealand winter time zone (NZST, UTC+12), that window opens around 7pm on Friday, July 24 and closes roughly 7pm on Monday, July 27 locally, while players on Australia’s east coast (AEST, UTC+10) can expect access from about 5pm Friday through to 5pm Monday. Aussies and Kiwis wanting a first crack at Green Goblin’s glider combos or Blade’s debut moveset should plan around those evening starts rather than the US-centric midnight kickoff times quoted in most coverage.
Countdown to the August 6 Launch
This open beta is effectively the last major public checkpoint before Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls ships. This game’s excellent presentation of classic Marvel Comics characters and robust 4v4 tag team action has already seen two closed betas, but those don’t accurately reflect the refined state of the game now. Developer feedback loops have shaped the build since last year, with Arc System Works stating it has refined gameplay, improved mechanics, and made numerous adjustments across the experience based on community feedback to deliver an even more exciting and accessible tag fighter ahead of release on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 6.
For a roster that started EVO season with just six characters, the leap to 16 playable fighters — with only Carnage, Deadpool, Loki and Hulk still under wraps — signals how close Arc System Works now considers the game to its finished state. Whether Green Goblin’s aerial pressure game turns him into a genuine tournament threat or an amusing gimmick pick will likely become clearer once the beta’s rollback netcode gets its first proper stress test this weekend.
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