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One of the biggest stories to come out of Summer Game Fest 2025 (so far) is the reveal of Marvel Token: Fighting Souls, a 4v4 fighting game from Arc System Works. It has all the chaotic energy of the developer’s previous games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear, but with some of the most loved MCU characters throwing hands with each other. The designs give us some really distinct takes on Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man, which was a big part of the brief for Marvel Games.

Marvel Token: Fighting Souls’ producer Takeshi Yamanaka explained that the original designs Arc System Works submitted to Marvel didn’t excite them. “When we first submitted our designs to Marvel, I got the impression that [Senior Product Development Manager at Marvel Games, Michael Franciso’s] reaction wasn’t particularly positive,” he explained in a behind-the-scenes feature about the game’s development. “I kept wondering what was wrong. After talking with him more directly, he said something like, ‘Show us the Marvel that you (Arc) want to create.’”

What changed Marvel’s mind on Arc System Works’ character design? Just like the MCU, it all started with Iron Man. “I remember, personally, the first time I saw Iron Man was really when I felt we had something special,” explained Francisco.

The key, it seems, was to make Iron Man look more Japanese. “So if you take a look at our Iron Man design in this game,” Yamanaka says. “That distinctive Japanese design and Arc System Works design sensibility will be visible. Marvel’s team really loved it. It was like, ‘Yes, this is it!’”

What caught Marvel’s eye was the infusion of anime and mecha elements into Iron Man’s design. That Gundam eyebrow feature is unmistakable and sets this version of Tony Stark apart from anything that we’ve seen before. Because everything in Marvel these days starts with a good Iron Man. 

You don't need to beat the game to prepare for the next one—here are all the major new and upcoming games coming our way.