The announcement of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection during Nintendo Direct delighted fighting game fans, particularly because it brings the much-loved Marvel vs. Capcom 2 to modern platforms for the first time in years. But while the collection is coming to Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC, the decision to skip Xbox altogether has caused 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's same-day announcement that it's bringing two Ace Attorney Investigations titles to Switch, PS4, PC via Steam, and Xbox One in a similar collection. Indeed, the Marvel vs. Capcom series has a long history on Xbox platforms; Marvel vs. Capcom 2 itself launched on Xbox in 2002 and again on Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade in 2009, and the last game in the series, Infinite, launched on Xbox One in 2017.
Xbox owners have reacted to the news with a mix of bewilderment and anger. The backlash was strong enough to cause the phrase ‘No Xbox’ to trend across social media, and there are angry comments on Xbox subreddits and Discords, too. One redditor said: “I have a Switch, but I play all my fighting games on Xbox with my arcade stick. It's an absolute gut punch it's not coming to Xbox, especially considering Ace Attorney Investigations was announced for Xbox.”
Another added: "The other Capcom collection announced on the presentation (Ace Attorney Investigations) is coming to Xbox, so they are clearly not against putting their games on the console. Then why is MvC not coming? I know I'm in a minority here, but I would buy it in a heartbeat and there are bound to be a few thousand other people like me. Now we won't have the chance to do this. Such a shame."
No Xbox? Garbage move @CapcomUSA_ pic.twitter.com/5yVdFISej7
— Keith Garlington (@KeithandMovies) June 18, 2024
I was hype af until I saw there is no Xbox version, why not???
— Bella Drive ? Xbox Girlie ? (@Bella_Drive) June 18, 2024
A game like Marvel VS Capcom should be on as many platforms as possible. Previous Capcom collections has always been on Xbox too, why is this different? https://t.co/Eed0MdUNYT pic.twitter.com/OdDXqoTfy9
No xbox version? https://t.co/1QmylYm7r8 pic.twitter.com/h0lto5Bxy5
— Cargonaut (@shisnoelite) June 18, 2024
Without an explanation from Capcom, fans are left to speculate about the reason for Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection skipping Xbox. Some believe it’s the result of Capcom’s MT Framework engine being depreciated on the Xbox One. As many have pointed out, this would explain why other Capcom collections, such as Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection and Monster Hunter Stories, also skipped Xbox One. There is a feeling from some that Capcom has decided it’s not worth the time, energy, and resources that would be required to bring its MT Framework collections to Xbox One, but again, without word from Capcom, this is just speculation for now.
Starting to believe the "MT Framework for Xbox One is dead" theory. It explains all the skips for that platform.
— Jawmuncher (@Jawmuncher) June 18, 2024
Great Ace Attorney - MT
Monster Hunter Stories - MT
Monster Hunter Stores 2 - MT
Mega Man Battle Network - Unknown
Marvel vs. Capcom Collection - Likely MT https://t.co/16fDuJFI5a
And so, the backlash continues, marring what would otherwise be universal excitement 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. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
