For over two decades, there have been several fighting games that have taken a hold of gamers; games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken are some series that have been around for many years and have garnered a huge fan base throughout the decades. But one of the biggest fighting games that epitomizes this classic genre of video games is Marvel vs. Capcom. Whether you were devoting countless hours at arcades or playing at the comfort of your home on your Sega Saturn or PlayStation, the classic series brought out several installments in the late 90’s including X-Men vs Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), or Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998).
However, in the past fifteen years, the franchise only released Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds (and its Ultimate edition). Since Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and the expiration of Capcom’s license to use company’s crop of superheroes, many thought the third game was going to be the final installment to the classic franchise. But according to sources from Polygon, the crossover fighting game will release the fourth installment sometime next year.
The game is said to currently be in development, according to a report from Polygon. With Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s rumored that the fourth game would feature a heavy focus on characters from The Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy; some popularized characters from Marvel films might also make their first appearance, like Ant-Man and Groot. However, unlike many of the previous series, the next Marvel vs. Capcom will likely not feature any X-Men.
This will likely play into the theory that Disney is trying to downplay the mutant superheroes because 20th Century Fox own the X-Men’s film rights. For financial reasons, it’s understandable that Disney does not want to partake in the popularity of their competitor’s characters. But if Polygon’s report is accurate, for all gaming fans of the Marvel vs. Capcom (and Marvel Comics in general), it’s a shame that the company is squelching such a rich property with millions of devoted fans. No X-Men will mean no Sentinel Rocket Punch, no Cyclops Optic Blast, and no Wolverine Tornado Claw.
All downloadable content for the Marvel vs. Capcom games were pulled from the Microsoft and Sony store when Capcom’s license with Marvel expired back in 2013. Since then, Capcom hasn’t been allowed to make any changes to the games – no updates or new content, despite fans’ pleas. This has not stopped that popularity of the game, however. Every year at EVO, the game is featured in the fighting tournament.
Jay Ong spoke to Polygon earlier in the year and told them that
There’s nothing we can say at this time. Let’s just say that we hear that a lot. We love our fans and we certainly want to please them. Beyond that we can’t say anything at this time. But who knows what the future holds?
Capcom currently has close ties with Sony for its fighting games, leading many to believe that the game will be officially announced this coming weekend at the PlayStation Experience in Anaheim, California. Sony’s backed Capcom Pro Tour will be wrapping up the year with the Capcom Cup 2016 at the event, so look for them to make an announcement soon.