PlayStation has posted a new clip of Phoenix Cyclops, the first DLC fighter for Arc System Works' 4-versus-4 tag fighter MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The 31-second video, shared yesterday at 9:15 AM MST, shows Scott Summers striking poses in the middle of a fight. Phoenix Cyclops launched on November 2 as the first character in the game's Year 1 Character and Stage Pass. Check out the official post down below:
How Phoenix Cyclops Fights
Producer Takeshi Yamanaka detailed the character on the PlayStation Blog in October. Cyclops is built as an all-rounder who works at long range and up close through his Optic Blasts. The Phoenix Force adds wide fire attacks that cover large parts of the screen, and his kit also includes projectiles, rushing attacks, throws and setup tools.
Using Optic Blasts builds Phoenix Force energy called Solar Shards. Once Cyclops collects 4 Solar Shards, he can transform into his Dark Phoenix form. The form gives him a large temporary power boost, but it carries risks, including health depletion. Yamanaka wrote that the mechanic was inspired by Avengers vs. X-Men, the 2012 Marvel storyline in which Cyclops became one of the Phoenix Five alongside Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik, then absorbed his teammates' power to become Dark Phoenix.
Ray Chase voices Phoenix Cyclops. His "Classic" and "Legacy" costumes, sold as separate DLC, launched the same day.
Why Arc System Works Picked The Phoenix Version
According to Yamanaka, Cyclops was one of the leading candidates for the roster's Unbreakable X-Men team early in development. Because the character has appeared in many Marvel fighting games, the team looked for a way to present him differently, and the narrative team proposed the Phoenix version. Yamanaka wrote that the team made the difficult decision to keep working on him until it felt it was adding something new to his fighting game legacy, and he was released as the first post-launch DLC character as a result. Players at EVO France, held October 9 to 11, were the first to try him.
This Scott Summers wants to tame a destructive power to save mutantkind from extinction, believes in absolute justice and is willing to take extreme actions. Arc System Works gave him a slightly younger appearance to contrast with the Phoenix Force, and his transformed state is meant to show his shift "from idealistic leader to fiery corruption."
Pricing And The Year 1 Pass
On Steam, Phoenix Cyclops costs $7.99 on his own and includes 8 color variations plus an online lobby avatar with 8 color variations. He is also part of the $34.99 Year 1 Characters and Stage Pass, which includes 4 characters, an extra stage and a set of result screen character poses. The poses were available right away, and the rest of the pass is expected by December 31, 2027. A copy of the base game is required for both.
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launched in August on PS5 and PC, with Sony Interactive Entertainment publishing. It supports online PvP, local versus and cross-platform multiplayer, according to its Steam listing. In October, PlayStation Plus subscribers got a 3-hour Game Trial, and the game had its first PlayStation Store sale. The game's earlier tuning patch was covered in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Receives August Update With Performance And Gameplay Fixes, and the open beta that came before launch is in Marvel Tokon's Free Open Beta Hits This Friday With Blade Playable For The First Time.
PlayStation's gameplay trailer for Phoenix Cyclops shows more of his moveset:
Do you like Phoenix Cyclops as the default version of Scott Summers in MARVEL Tōkon, or would you rather have had the classic Cyclops?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.