When was Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds released?

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds released on the 15th of February 2011. The game shipped more than 2 million copies by the 30th of March 2011.

Who announced the return of the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise in 2010?

Ryota Niitsuma announced the return of the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise at Capcom's Captivate press show in Hawaii on the 20th of April 2010. This announcement followed a nearly decade-long silence caused by legal disputes that kept the series dormant since 2002.

What new gameplay mechanics did Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds introduce?

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds introduced a simplified three-button attack system and an exchange button to swap characters and slam opponents. The game also added the X-Factor mechanic which increased damage, speed, and health regeneration for a short period.

How many playable characters are in the base roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds?

The base roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds contains 36 characters. Two additional characters, Jill Valentine and Shuma-Gorath, were made available as downloadable content.

Why was the Marvel vs. Capcom license cancelled after 2012?

The Walt Disney Company cancelled the Marvel vs. Capcom license after acquiring Marvel in 2009 and chose to put characters in its own Disney Infinity series. Capcom had to pull Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes from online stores in 2013.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

The 20th of April 2010 marked the end of a nearly decade-long silence for the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise, a period defined by legal disputes that had kept the beloved crossover series dormant since 2002. At Capcom's Captivate press show in Hawaii, Ryota Niitsuma stood before an audience to announce that the company had finally reacquired the Marvel license, allowing them to begin development on a new title that would become Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. This was not merely a sequel but a complete reinvention of the series, as the game would be the first to utilize three-dimensional character models while maintaining the two-dimensional gameplay of its predecessors. The project had been in the works since 2008, driven by years of unrelenting fan demand and a strategic shift in Capcom's global production philosophy under Keiji Inafune. The development team sought to create a game that would honor the legacy of the past while simultaneously expanding their user base to include those familiar with the characters but perhaps not with fighting games in general. The decision to retool the fighting system was a direct response to criticism of previous iterations, which were often deemed too complicated for casual players. This new direction aimed to knock down the wall of complicated controls and open up the field of strategic fighting to all comers, a goal that would define the game's identity from its inception.

The 15th of February 2011 saw the release of a game that fundamentally altered the way players interacted with the genre, replacing the four-button layout of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 with a simplified three-button attack system. This new scheme, modeled after Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, utilized undefined light, medium, and heavy attacks to streamline the combat experience. The development team introduced an exchange button, a tool used to launch opponents into the air, swap characters while performing combos, and slam the opponent into the ground. This change was designed to make the game more accessible to new players without sacrificing the depth required by veterans. For those unfamiliar with fighting games, a Simple Mode allowed players to perform special moves and hyper combos with single button presses, albeit at the expense of limiting a character's available moveset. The game also introduced a new mechanic known as X-Factor, which offered increased damage, speed, and health regeneration for a short period of time. Players could activate this ability once per match, and its duration and intensity were dependent on the number of active characters in the player's team. As a player lost fighters, X-Factor lasted longer and granted higher damage boosts, creating a dynamic system that rewarded strategic risk-taking. The result was a game that balanced accessibility with depth, allowing players to string together attacks and form combos while performing special moves using a combination of button presses and joystick movements.

The creation of the character roster was a collaborative process between Capcom and Marvel Comics, with Marvel providing precise directions regarding the designs of their characters while leaving game balancing to Capcom. Comic book writer Frank Tieri was assigned to write the character dialogue and endings for the game, utilizing Marvel's full library of characters for storyline purposes. This collaboration resulted in several unplayable characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, such as the Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, MegaMan Volnutt, Nemesis, and Phoenix Wright, making cameo appearances in the campaign stages and Arcade Mode endings. The development team worked closely with Marvel Comics to ensure that each character from their company was properly represented, modeling many after their more recent comic book appearances. For example, Iron Man sports his Extremis Armor, while Wolverine wears his John Cassaday-designed costume from Astonishing X-Men. The team originally planned to have English and Japanese voice actors for all characters, but Niitsuma eventually decided against it, stating that having the Marvel roster speaking Japanese did not mesh well with the characters' image. The game features a base roster of 36 characters, with two additional characters, Jill Valentine and Shuma-Gorath, available as downloadable content. The dialogue quips and mid-match events between the companies' characters added a layer of personality that was unique to the franchise, creating a sense of camaraderie and rivalry that resonated with fans of both universes.

In the game's Arcade Mode, players fight against AI-controlled opponents to reach the final boss character, Galactus, a supervillain from Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four series. Each character has their own unique ending sequence, which is earned upon completion of Arcade Mode, providing a narrative conclusion to their journey. The game also features various offline game modes, such as Versus Mode, where two players can fight against each other locally, and Training Mode, which features several customization options for training purposes. These options include the ability to adjust the Hyper Combo gauge, set AI difficulty, record and playback moves, and even simulate input lag. Mission Mode features character-specific challenges designed to test players on their ability to execute complex combos. The online play component uses Microsoft's Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network services to facilitate ranked matches, player matches, and player lobbies. When an online match begins, both players can view their opponent's License Card, which keeps track of players' tendencies based on fighting style, records player points and total number of wins and losses, and allows players to see the positive and negative points of their play styles. Included among the online features is Shadow Battle, a series of downloadable content packs that allow the player to fight against a team of AI-controlled opponents programmed after the techniques and preferences of Capcom's development staff and famous players from the fighting game community.

The 30th of March 2011 marked a significant milestone for the game, as Capcom announced that it had shipped more than 2 million copies of the game a month and a half after its debut. The game received positive reviews from critics, garnering aggregate scores of 85/100 and 84/100 from Metacritic for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, respectively. Reviewers praised the game for its simplified, yet deep gameplay and diverse cast of characters. According to GameSpot's Maxwell McGee, the game's simplified core combat mechanics worked harmoniously to drive the action forward. Richard George of IGN stated that the alterations to the control scheme helped to mature the franchise by removing needless complexities. Neidel Crisan of 1UP.com complimented the uniqueness of the characters' play styles, stating that he enjoyed exploring the roster and possible team combinations. Brian Leahy of G4 also praised the variety and balance of characters, claiming that, unlike Marvel vs. Capcom 2, in which a large majority of the cast was severely underpowered compared to its top fighters, almost every character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 seemed to be a viable option. The game was nominated for Best Fighting Game at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, though it lost to Mortal Kombat. Despite the critical acclaim, the game was criticized for its lack of diversity in game modes and online features, with some reviewers expressing disappointment that the development team did not supplement the core experience with extras to add variety to the total package and extend its lifespan.

Less than a year after the release of the original game, Capcom announced an updated version titled Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which was released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was later ported to the PlayStation Vita, with PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions announced in December 2016. While the update features largely identical gameplay mechanics to the original, changes were made to both the aerial combat and X-Factor systems. It features the entire roster from Fate of Two Worlds, including the two DLC characters, and introduces 12 new playable fighters. Among the added fighters, only one is a returning character from previous games in the Marvel vs. Capcom series: Strider Hiryu. The other eleven characters, all new to the franchise, are Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Nova, Rocket Raccoon, Firebrand, Frank West, Nemesis T-Type, Phoenix Wright, and Vergil. The game's success led to a merchandise program launched in April 2011, with apparel wholesalers Mad Engine and Philcos selling T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing Marvel vs. Capcom 3 promotional artwork. Diamond Select Toys created a line of Minimates based on various characters from the game, and Hollywood Collectibles debuted collectible statue sets featuring Akuma, Dante, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Ryu, and Wolverine. In 2012, after the release of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, UDON Entertainment unveiled a 200-page artbook, titled Marvel vs. Capcom: Official Complete Works, containing compilations of existing Marvel vs. Capcom imagery alongside new commissioned pieces by comic book artists.

The 19th of September 2017 marked the release of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, a proper sequel to the original game, but the path to its creation was paved with corporate maneuvering that would eventually lead to the cancellation of the series. Following the release of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the PlayStation Vita in 2012, Marvel's new parent company, The Walt Disney Company, which acquired Marvel in 2009, chose not to renew Capcom's license with the Marvel characters. Instead, Disney opted to put them in its own self-published Disney Infinity series. As a result, Capcom had to pull both Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes off Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network in 2013. However, in 2016, Disney decided to cancel its Disney Infinity series, discontinue self-publishing efforts, and switch to a licensing-only model, allowing them to license their characters to third-party game developers, including Capcom. On the 3rd of December 2016, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was officially unveiled during Sony's PlayStation Experience event. The game was released on the 19th of September 2017, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. The cancellation of the original license and the subsequent return of the series to third-party developers marked a significant shift in the relationship between the two companies, one that would shape the future of crossover fighting games for years to come.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

A New Control Scheme

Up Next

Continue Browsing

Common questions

The Art of Collaboration

The Battle for Galactus

Critical Acclaim and Commercial Success

The Ultimate Evolution

The License That Vanished