The Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls closed beta weekend, eagerly anticipated by fighting game enthusiasts, is facing serious backlash. Players lucky enough to receive an invitation are expressing outrage over the extremely limited playtime offered. The beta, which began on September 5th, has a peculiar schedule of short sessions interspersed with long intervals, leaving many feeling shortchanged.
Beta Schedule Sparks Controversy
According to the official Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls X account, the closed beta features four sessions, each starting with 30 minutes of CPU battles. The real issue lies in the significant gaps between these sessions. The first three sessions are separated by two-hour intervals, while the final gap extends to a staggering eight hours.
This fragmented schedule means that even invited players can only experience a maximum of 23 hours of gameplay (or 21 hours excluding the CPU battles) over the entire weekend. For a modern fighting game beta, this is exceptionally short, leaving the community deeply dissatisfied.
Missed Invites and Borrowed Beta Access
Adding to the frustration, many players, including prominent figures in the Fighting Game Community (FGC), report not receiving beta invitations. Some are resorting to borrowing access from others or planning to watch livestreams, as Bandai Namco has confirmed that broadcasting gameplay is permitted. This highlights the high demand for the game and the disappointment of those excluded.
Community Reacts to Limited Access
Fans who secured a beta invite are labeling the closed beta launch as "mishandled," pointing fingers at ArcSys, PlayStation, and Bandai Namco for failing to manage expectations and essentially offering only six-hour sessions across three days. The sentiment online is overwhelmingly negative, with players questioning the purpose of such a restricted beta period.
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls was revealed at the PlayStation State of Play and quickly became a highly anticipated title slated for a 2026 release. This beta was the first opportunity for players to experience the game firsthand. Beta codes were sent out to PS5 beta program members and those who registered interest in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Those participating are technically prohibited from sharing footage online, though that rule is expected to be broken. More public betas are expected in the future.
Sony has partnered with Arc System Works on this 4v4 superhero fighter. This beta is meant to stress test servers and tune the title's overall balance.