Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Reveals Phoenix Cyclops as First DLC Fighter This Fall
Arc System Works and Sony Interactive Entertainment have confirmed Phoenix Cyclops as the first post-launch DLC fighter for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, revealing the X-Men leader in a new trailer during a San Diego Comic-Con panel. Phoenix Cyclops, voiced by Ray Chase, will be the first additional character joining Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls as part of Year 1 content. The character is scheduled to join the roster this fall, according to the game’s producer.
Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Arc System Works made the announcement alongside the release of the game’s opening cinematic movie during the panel, titled “Behind the Battle.” The panel shared several new announcements and updates about the game.
Phoenix Cyclops Draws From the Avengers vs. X-Men Comics
This is not the classic visor-and-mutant-blast Scott Summers players may expect. Cyclops is one of Marvel’s most iconic X-Men leaders, but in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls this version of Cyclops draws inspiration from his Phoenix Five incarnation from Avengers vs. X-Men, sporting a bold new look infused with the fiery cosmic power of the Phoenix Force. The comic arc referenced dates back to 2012, when the Phoenix Force splintered across five X-Men, Cyclops among them.
Arc System Works producer Takeshi Yamanaka detailed the character’s move set in comments carried by Gematsu. “In MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls, however, this version of Cyclops draws inspiration from his Phoenix Five incarnation from Avengers vs. X-Men, sporting a bold new look infused with the fiery cosmic power of the Phoenix Force. In addition to powerful Optic Blasts and exceptional hand-to-hand combat abilities that define the character, this Cyclops also possesses the Phoenix Force, so expect Scott Summers to bring the heat!” Yamanaka said the studio would share more on how those abilities translate to gameplay closer to launch.
The teaser itself leans on story rather than combat footage. Phoenix Cyclops’ reveal trailer is more of a teaser since there’s no gameplay present, but fans get to hear Storm warning him that he’ll destroy everything. This version of the character has appeared in past comic books when Scott Summers became a host for the Phoenix Force in runs like Avengers vs. X-Men, giving him the powers of the Dark Phoenix like telekinesis plus matter manipulation while also amplifying his natural optic blast mutation.
Three More Fighters and a Stage Still to Come in the Year 1 Pass
Phoenix Cyclops is only the opening act of a larger post-launch roadmap. Phoenix Cyclops is said to kick off the Year 1 DLC support this fall, and he’ll be joined by three more fighters plus one stage in the first year’s DLC pass. None of those additional characters have been named yet.
Access to the pass is tied to specific editions of the base game. To gain access to him and subsequent DLC characters, players will need the Year 1 Characters and Stage Pass, which is included in the Digital Deluxe and Ultimate editions of the game. Push Square noted it would presumably also be sold separately once the base game is out.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Launches August 6 After Its Open Beta
The DLC reveal lands just as the public gets its first proper hands-on with the base game. The game will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on August 6 (August 7 in Japan), with an open beta for PS5 and PC running July 24-26 (July 24-27 in Japan). That beta window gives players a look at the 4v4 tag-team fighter’s core mechanics before Phoenix Cyclops arrives as a paid or bundled add-on later in the season.
Read also: Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta Runs July 24-26 With 16 Fighters, Six Stages
Free Wolverine Costume Ties Into Insomniac’s September Launch
The Comic-Con panel also confirmed a crossover tied to a different PlayStation Studios release. As announced earlier, MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls will also feature a collaboration with Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine in the form of an in-game costume. Wolverine’s Battle Reborn Suit will be available starting September 1st, and all players will be able to download it at no additional cost, ahead of the upcoming Wolverine game’s September 15 release.
The tie-in underlines how closely Sony is now weaving its first-party Marvel projects together, using Arc System Works’ fighter as a promotional beachhead for Insomniac’s blockbuster before it even ships. For Australian and New Zealand fans who picked up early access through the open beta, the roadmap gives a clear reason to stick around post-launch: a story-driven opening movie, a free crossover skin in September, and a marquee DLC fighter carrying the Phoenix Force into the fall.
Sanzigen’s Opening Movie Sets the Tone
Alongside the character reveal, the panel unveiled the game’s opening cinematic. The opening movie, as well as the cinematic sequences featured throughout Episode Mode, were produced by the Japanese animation studio Sanzigen, which continues to push the boundaries of high-quality 2.5D expression. Daisuke Suzuki directed the opening at animation studio SANZIGEN, with Keiko Terada of SHOW-YA and mayu of NEMOPHILA performing the original theme song “Stronger as One,” lyrics by Kanata Okajima, composed and arranged by MEG of MEGMETAL.
With the base roster, an anime-style opening, a Wolverine crossover costume and now a confirmed Year 1 DLC lineup taking shape, Arc System Works appears to be treating Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls as a long-term live-service fighter rather than a one-and-done release. Whether Phoenix Cyclops proves as popular in Tōkon as his more grounded counterpart has been in NetEase’s Marvel Rivals will likely become clear once his exact fall release date and moveset are detailed closer to launch.
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