August 8, 2026
Just two days after the release of the long-awaited fighting game Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, the organizers of the major weekly tournament Tampa Never Sleeps made a surprising move: they cancelled the PC bracket and moved the entire competition to PS5. The reason was the technical state of the PC version, which exceeded even the most pessimistic beta predictions in its horror. Stutters, frame drops, and rollback netcode issues made the game practically unplayable on PC at tournament level.
The tournament was announced on August 6, but the very next day they had to seize the initiative and urgently change the regulations. The organizers apologized, but the point is clear: there’s no way to improve the situation on PC right now, and no one will wait for the developers to polish the port. Incidentally, soon after, negative reviews began pouring in on Steam, and the game’s rating steadily declined—at the time of writing, it currently sits at 43-44% “mixed” ratings with over 2,500 reviews. And that’s not all.
Table of Contents
Tampa Never Sleeps Tournament Drops PC Version
Announcement and Cancellation in a Single Day
Tampa Never Sleeps, a well-known fighting game tournament series, announced the start of a weekly Marvel Tokon competition on August 6th. Registration for participants was open, and everything was going according to plan. But on August 7th, the organizers released an update: the PC version was eliminated, and all matches would be held exclusively on PS5. The tournament, timed to coincide with the game’s release, effectively became a PS5 exclusive, even though the game was released on all platforms.
Official Statement from the Organizers
In an official post, Tampa Never Sleeps explained: “To ensure a more comfortable and seamless experience for players, our MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls tournament tomorrow will be held exclusively on PS5. We apologize for any inconvenience.” However, the community’s anger is justifiably directed at the publisher and developers—after all, they were the ones who released the rough port. Some commentators even speculate that this could have been part of Sony’s PS5 promotion plan, but it doesn’t seem like a well-thought-out strategy—the reputational damage is too great.
What’s Wrong with the PC Version: Stutters, Frame Drops, and Rollbacks
The Issues Aren’t Hardware-Related
The most frustrating thing is that the stutters aren’t related to PC performance. Players with high-end configurations (RTX 5090 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D) are complaining about the same stutters as owners of mid-range builds. Marvel Tokon is Arc System Works’ first project using Unreal Engine 5, and apparently, the transition to the new engine proved more difficult than expected. Whether the game relies on any of the engine’s new features is questionable, but they haven’t been able to adequately implement them yet.
Rollback Netcode Doesn’t Help
In fighting games, rollback netcode usually smooths out lag, but here, every stutter is accompanied by a rollback glitch—frames drop, and synchronization between players becomes a lottery. Online matches, according to users, are “very bad, with rollback spikes.” It’s even clear that the game stumbles out of nowhere.
Launch and PSN Issues
Add to this the mandatory PSN login on PC—the game has been blocked in 132 countries where the service is unavailable. This has cut off a huge pool of potential players. Linux and Steam Deck are also left out due to Easy Anti-Cheat, which isn’t configured for Proton. One reviewer writes, “Anticheat causes a black window, and the CPU is maxed out”—and this isn’t an isolated incident.
How PC Port Issues Are Ruining Crossplay with PS5
PS5 Players Are Suffering from PC Stutters
It would seem that console players are safe. But no—crossplay unites all platforms, and when the PC version lags, this instability extends to PS5 matches. PS5 owners are complaining of interrupted rollbacks and micro-freezes specifically when playing against PC opponents. Meanwhile, on the PS5 itself, the game maintains a stable 60 FPS and claims to be an exemplary fighting game experience.
PS5 Players Are Disabling Crossplay En Masse
Forums and social media increasingly recommend disabling crossplay to avoid ruining the experience. This, of course, reduces the opponent pool, but it’s better to play with fewer people than to suffer from someone else’s technical problems. The compact size of the PS5 community is a saving grace for now, but it doesn’t enhance the overall aesthetic experience of multiplayer.
Comparison Chart: PS5 vs. PC
Platform Comparison — PS5 vs PC
Steam Rating: “Mixed” – 43-44% Positive
Numbers and Statistics
At the time of publication (August 8th), Marvel Tokon has over 2,500 reviews on Steam, of which only 43-44% are positive (data varies depending on the time of collection). This is a very respectable figure for a game with such a budget and name. The online peak reached 24,000 players, but how many of them will continue playing after the first few hours is a big question.
What Are the Negative Reviews Saying?
In addition to the aforementioned lag, users complain about poor graphics settings—”the settings don’t even display correctly,” crashes, and the game “not showing any signs of life” when trying to launch it on Linux. One review states: “45 FPS for a fighting game is a disgrace.” Many are demanding refunds and promising to return only after the port is finalized.
When Will the Next Patch Be Released and What Are the Developers Saying?
What’s Already Been Done (Day One Patch – August 6)
Arc System Works released the Day One patch alongside the release. The list of changes includes reduced CPU load, improved shaders and antialiasing, and fixes for OBS and Discord. The patch package looked promising, but as practice has shown, it was not possible to bring the game to an acceptable state.
The Patch Didn’t Resolve All the Issues
The community unanimously notes that the patch didn’t fix the major stutters. The developers acknowledged, “We’re aware that some PC players are experiencing issues.” This acknowledgement is certainly a tribute to the players, but without a specific timeframe, it changes little.
What’s Next?
On official channels, the studio states that it is actively investigating the cause and will continue releasing updates. However, there is no exact date for the next patch. If you plan to participate in tournaments, it’s best to stick with PS5 for now. The PC version is a risk that organizers may soon be writing off.
Practical Conclusion
If competitive play is your goal, get a PS5 now. On PC, Marvel Tokon is still in its infancy, and even powerful hardware doesn’t guarantee stability. Keep an eye on patch updates, but don’t expect everything to be fixed tomorrow—there are too many issues. In the meantime, Tampa Never Sleeps has set an example: when a game doesn’t meet tournament standards, it’s simply banned.
