Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls: second closed beta impressions

December 7, 2025, marked the top of Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls’ second closed beta on PlayStation 5, which once more made a giant impression on gamers. Developer Arc System Works introduced the interval in September as a means of exhibiting followers how the title now performs, due to the suggestions given from the primary beta session. 

For these unaware, Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls is a combating recreation that works on a 3v3 tag-team system, that includes a hand-drawn artwork model in addition to mechanics like auto combos and throws which can be much like Arc System Works’ different title, 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ. In a PlayStation Weblog publish, Kazuto Sekine, Recreation Director and Lead Battle Designer at Arc System Works, revealed how there have been loads of enhancements made this time.

ESI has been taking part in the second Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls beta throughout these three days, and we’ve come away impressed, regardless of experiencing some small points.

The primary Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls beta, held from September 5 to September 7, launched gamers to the gameplay mechanics, the artwork model, and extra. However because the interval was damaged up into segments, it was exhausting for gamers to get right into a rhythm with Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls. 

This second Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls beta was an enormous enchancment, primarily as a result of it ran uninterrupted for the complete 72 hours. This meant that anybody who was in a position to play the sport may get used to all eight characters in their very own time through the three days. The latest character, Ghost Rider, is a welcome addition this time. 

The character could also be acquainted to those that watched actor Nicholas Cage play him within the 2007 film. However right here, Ghost Rider is totally redeemed as a terrorising close-quarters fighter with some highly effective particular assaults that may be nice as a finisher in lots of matches.

Different characters who had been within the first Marvel Tōkon beta, reminiscent of Captain America, Storm, and Iron Man, all nonetheless management in addition to they did earlier than. What makes Preventing Souls work so effectively is how a lot its system can work with three characters directly. Arc System Works has clearly received the system nailed from 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ. The whole lot felt tighter on this second beta, with strikes dealing fairer harm and counters working effectively typically.

Nevertheless, there have been a few points that had been new on this second closed beta. There have been instances when it felt like the sport wasn’t registering my inputs. I might try a combo with Spider-Man, however Dr. Doom would pummel me, leaving me no room to counter or block in time. It’s one thing I didn’t expertise a lot of within the first beta, however right here, it was one in each three matches I performed.

Total, although, I got here away impressed as soon as once more. Arc System Works is aware of how the tag-team combating style works, and Marvel Tōkon is a good instance of that. At this level, it seems like the sport might be launched as Early Entry, very similar to Riot Video games’ 2XKO presently is.

However it appears that evidently Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls’ builders wish to take their time in getting each mechanic and character tight, and you may’t assist however respect that strategy.

The cel-shaded artwork model is nothing new from Arc System Works. Its previous library has taken full benefit of it, reminiscent of Dragon Ball FighterZ, Responsible Gear: Try, Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising, and extra. However that’s to not say the graphical model has change into tiresome – it’s the alternative.

Certainly, Marvel Tōkon appears improbable when nonetheless, and even higher when all the things is occurring. 2XKO additionally has an analogous model, however all the things appears like a pastel drawing, with no vibrant colours taking up the display. Not so with Arc System Works’ newest, as all the things pops, with easy animations that make all the things appear to be you’re watching a comic book ebook in movement.

The anime designs of everybody, particularly Iron Man, look unbelievable, and are a giant testomony to honouring the supply materials however giving it a twist that makes each character appear to be they’ve at all times been on this model. With simply eight characters introduced for the Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls roster to this point, it does make us surprise who else goes to get this model, particularly whoever finally ends up being the ultimate boss.

The tag-team combating recreation style is again, due to Riot Video games’ 2XKO, and the shocking return of Dragon Ball FighterZ, due to a contemporary patch out there, in addition to a brand new DLC character coming quickly.

But it surely does appear that, as soon as Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls releases in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC, it’ll be set to be the definitive recreation to go to within the style. Its gameplay mechanics are stuffed with depth, replayability, and quick-thinking that it’ll give gamers that ‘only one extra go’ feeling, much like what Dragon Ball FighterZ nonetheless evokes, all these years later.

Granted, there are some new points from this second closed beta check. Some assaults are unblockable, and others don’t appear to register accurately. However that is why Arc System Works continues to be holding these testing classes, to quash these points earlier than the sport’s 2026 launch. For now, although, the sport is taking part in and searching nice, and we’ll make sure you go in-depth on the Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls recreation as soon as the complete model is made out there.