Announcing Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection delighted fighting game fans during the Nintendo Direct, especially as it brings the much-loved Marvel vs. Capcom 2. But while the collection is coming to Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC, the decision to skip Xbox altogether has sparked backlash.
Capcom made its announcement without offering an explanation for the decision to skip Xbox, and the company declined to comment when contacted by IGN. This comes despite Capcom announcing on the same day that it is bringing two Ace Attorney Investigations titles to Switch, PS4, PC via Steam, and Xbox One in a similar collection. The series Marvel Vs. Capcom has a really long history on Xbox platforms; The very Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 launched on Xbox in 2002 and again on Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade in 2009, and the last game in the series, Infinite, was released on Xbox One in 2017.
Xbox owners reacted to the news with a mixture of confusion and anger. The backlash was strong enough to cause the phrase “No Xbox” to trend across social media, and there are also angry comments on Xbox subreddits and Discords. One redditor said, “I have a Switch, but I play all my fighting games on Xbox with an arcade stick. It’s a complete blow that it’s not coming to Xbox, especially with Ace Attorney Investigations announced for Xbox.”
Another added: “The other collection Capcom announced at the presentation (Ace Attorney Investigations) is coming to Xbox, so apparently they’re not opposed to putting their games on consoles. So why isn’t MvC coming? I know I’m in the minority here, but I’d buy it in a heartbeat and definitely if there are a few thousand more people like me, we won’t have such a shame.”
No Xbox? Trash removal @CapcomUSA_ pic.twitter.com/5yVdFISej7
— Keith Garlington (@KeithandMovies) June 18, 2024
I was hyped af until I saw there was no xbox version why not???
A game like Marvel VS Capcom should be on as many platforms as possible. Previous Capcom collections have always been on Xbox as well, why is this different? https://t.co/Eed0MdUNYT pic.twitter.com/OdDXqoTfy9
— Bella Drive 🐯 Xbox Girlie 💚 (@Bella_Drive) June 18, 2024
Don’t have the xbox version? https://t.co/1QmylYm7r8 pic.twitter.com/h0lto5Bxy5
— Cargonaut (@shisnoelite) June 18, 2024
With no explanation from Capcom, fans can speculate as to the reason why Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection missed Xbox. Some believe this is a result of Capcom’s MT Framework engine being written off on the Xbox One. As many have pointed out, this would explain why other Capcom collections like the Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection and Monster Hunter Stories also missed the Xbox One. Some feel that Capcom decided it wasn’t worth the time, energy, and resources it would take to bring its MT Framework Collections to Xbox One, but again, without word from Capcom, this is just speculation for now.
We’re starting to believe the “MT Framework for Xbox One is dead” theory. It explains all the skips for this platform.
Great Ace Attorney – MT
Tales of Monster Hunters – MT
Monster Hunter Stores 2 – MT
Mega Man Battle Network – Unknown
The Marvel vs. Capcom – Probable MT https://t.co/16fDuJFI5a— Jawmuncher (@Jawmuncher) June 18, 2024
And so the backlash continues, ruining what would otherwise be universal enthusiasm for the long-awaited return of some of the best crossover fighting games ever released.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Wesley can be contacted at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.