The announcement of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection during the Nintendo Direct delighted fans of fighting games, especially because it brings the much-loved Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on 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 entirely 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 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. Indeed, the Marvel vs. Capcom series has a 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, launched on Xbox One in 2017.
Xbox owners reacted to the news with a mixture of bewilderment and anger. The backlash was strong enough to make the phrase “No Xbox” catch on on social media, and there are also angry comments on Xbox threads and Discords. One redditor said, “I have a Switch, but I play all my Xbox fighting games with my arcade stick. It’s an absolute blow that it won’t be coming to Xbox, especially considering that Ace Attorney Investigations was announced for Xbox.”
Another added: “Capcom’s other collection announced at the presentation (Ace Attorney Investigations) is coming to Xbox, so they’re clearly not averse to putting their games on the console. Then why isn’t MvC coming? I know I’m in the minority here, but I’d buy it in a heartbeat, and there must be several thousand others like me. We won’t have the chance to do that now.
Don’t have an Xbox? Garbage movement @CapcomUSA_ pic.twitter.com/5yVdFISej7
— Keith Garlington (@KeithandMovies) June 18, 2024
I was excited until I saw there was no Xbox version, why not???
A game like Marvel VS Capcom should be on as many platforms as possible. Capcom’s previous collections have always been on Xbox too, why is this different? https://t.co/Eed0MdUNYT pic.twitter.com/OdDXqoTfy9
— Bella Drive 🐯 Xbox Girlie 💚 (@Bella_Drive) June 18, 2024
Don’t have an xbox version? https://t.co/1QmylYm7r8 pic.twitter.com/h0lto5Bxy5
— Cargonaut (@shisnoelite) June 18, 2024
With no explanation from Capcom, fans are left to speculate as to why Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection to skip Xbox. Some believe this is a result of deprecation of the Capcom MT Framework engine on the Xbox One. As many have pointed out, this would explain why other Capcom collections, such as the Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection and Monster Hunter Stories, also missed the Xbox One. There’s a feeling from some that Capcom decided it wasn’t worth the time, energy, and resources it would take to port their MT Framework collections to the Xbox One, but again, without word from Capcom, this is just speculation at this point.
Starting to believe the “MT Framework for Xbox One is dead” theory. It explains all the gaps for this platform.
Great Ace Attorney – MT
Monster Hunter Stories – MT
Monster Hunter 2 Stores – MT
Mega Man Battle Network – Unknown
Marvel vs Capcom Collection – Probably MT https://t.co/16fDuJFI5a— Jawmuncher (@Jawmuncher) June 18, 2024
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 contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or privately at wyp100@proton.me.
