MarketMarvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a 2017 crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series and the successor to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011). Like previous installments, players control characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom universes to compete in tag team battles. Infinite features two-on-two fights, as opposed to the three-on-three format used in its preceding titles. The series' character-assist moves have been removed; instead, the game incorporates a tag-based combo system, which allows players to instantly switch between their two characters to form continuous combos. It also introduces a new gameplay mechanic in the form of the Infinity Stones, which temporarily bestow players with unique abilities and stat boosts depending on the type of stone selected.

Gameplay
battling Chun-Li, illustrating the change to two-on-two battles and the inclusion of the Infinity Stones Like its predecessors, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a 2D fighting game in which players compete against each other in tag team combat using characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom universes. Players must knock out the opposing team by repeatedly attacking the opponent and draining their health bar. Infinite features two-on-two partner battles, similar to Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and earlier installments in the franchise. Unlike past entries, the game does not allow players to use traditional call-in assist attacks from off-screen characters; instead, Infinite utilizes a "free-form" tag system, known as "Active Switch", which shares similarities with Marvel vs. Capcom 3 "Team Aerial Combo" system and Street Fighter X Tekken "Switch Cancel" system. Players can immediately switch between their team members at any point, even while mid-air or during attack animations. This provides players with the abilities to create their own offensive or defensive assists through the tag system and form continuous combos between their two characters. As with previous Marvel vs. Capcom titles, players will charge their "Hyper Combo Gauge" as their characters deal or receive damage during the fight. Players can then expend the accrued meter from their Hyper Combo Gauge to perform "Hyper Combos", cinematic attacks which deal larger amounts of damage to the opponent. Alternatively, players can sacrifice meter from their Hyper Combo Gauge to perform the newly introduced "Counter Switch" mechanic, which tags in their partner character while the opponent is attacking them. This provides players with the opportunity to counterattack and free the character trapped in the enemy's combo. To improve accessibility, the game includes an "auto-combo" system which allows players to repeatedly press the light punch button to automatically perform both ground and air combos. Infinite also implements the Infinity Stones as a gameplay mechanic, similar to Marvel Super Heroes, where each stone grants unique abilities. The offline features include Story Mode, a two-hour cinematic story campaign; Arcade Mode, a classic arcade game experience where players fight against several AI-controlled opponents before confronting the final boss characters Ultron Sigma and Ultron Omega; Mission Mode, where players can complete tutorial missions and character-specific challenges; Training Mode, where players can practice their fighting abilities and adjust various training field parameters; Versus Player 2, where two players can battle against each other locally; Versus CPU, where players can battle solo against an AI-controlled opponent; and Collection Mode, where extras unlocked through gameplay are stored, including story cutscenes, character and stage information, concept artwork, and audio tracks. Online multiplayer includes ranked and casual matches, global leaderboards, replays, and eight-player lobbies with spectating. Playable characters Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite features a base roster of 30 playable characters, consisting of both new and returning heroes and villains in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Six additional characters were also released post-launch as downloadable content (DLC). New characters to the franchise are listed below in bold. Marvel characters Capcom characters ==Plot==
Plot
Death is visited by Jedah Dohma, who proposes an alliance to achieve equilibrium between life and death on both their worlds. Needing the six Infinity Stones to do so, Death deceives Thanos and Ultron into aiding her, granting Thanos the Space Stone and sending Ultron to retrieve the Reality Stone from Abel City. Sigma intercepts Ultron, and the two forge their own alliance. They betray the others and use the Space and Reality Stones to merge the two dimensions and fuse themselves into a single being named "Ultron Sigma". To wipe out biological life, they begin unleashing an evolved form of the Sigma Virus that turns organic creatures into synthetic beings under their control. An alliance of heroes from both worlds is then formed. They manage to keep Ultron Sigma at a stalemate until they rescue Thanos from Ultron Sigma's prison and secure him in a containment field at Avengers Tower. To gain their trust, Thanos reveals the locations of the remaining four Infinity Stones, and teams of heroes are dispatched to find them. Ryu, Chun-Li, Captain America, and Hulk travel to Valkanda to obtain the Time Stone. Despite Captain America's warnings, Black Panther, the ruler of Valkanda, refuses to surrender it. Ultron Sigma's drones arrive and spread the virus, infecting a Dah'ren Mohran. After Ryu and Hulk defeat the creature, Black Panther agrees to give them the Stone. Next, Dante, Morrigan, Ghost Rider, Arthur, and Doctor Strange travel to the Dark Kingdom, where they encounter Jedah, who is using the Soul Stone to feed souls to a Symbiote creature, hoping to use it against Ultron Sigma. While the heroes battle Dormammu and Firebrand, Jedah escapes with the Stone. Meanwhile, Iron Man sends Spider-Man to assist Chris Redfield in infiltrating an A.I.M.brella facility. There, they find Frank West and Mike Haggar, and discover MODOK turning people into bio-organic weapons, infused with Symbiotes at Jedah's demand. The heroes defeat MODOK's enforcer, Nemesis, and retrieve the Mind Stone. However, they are soon attacked by Jedah and his giant Symbiote. On Knowmoon, Captain Marvel, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Nova, Strider Hiryu, and X defeat Ultron Sigma's ally, Grandmaster Meio, and rescue Zero from his control. Upon taking the Power Stone, the station ejects its core, which falls towards New Metro City carrying a massive Sigma Virus payload. While Doctor Light, Iron Man, Nathan Spencer, and Hawkeye build a weapon to harness the Infinity Stones, Ultron Sigma attacks Avengers Tower. In the chaos, Thanos is released and attacks Ultron Sigma, cracking the Reality Stone and forcing them to retreat. The heroes use their Stones to destroy the Symbiote and the falling core, but are infected in the process. The infected heroes then head for Xgard to infiltrate Sigma's laboratory to finish their weapon, the Infinity Buster. When Thanos learns of Death and Jedah's partnership, he becomes enraged and betrays the heroes, creating a mechanized gauntlet that absorbs Ryu's Satsui no Hadō before departing for revenge. After reclaiming the Soul Stone from Jedah, Dante arrives in Xgard and pretends to surrender the Stone. Since they have no souls, Ultron Sigma is overwhelmed by the Stone and transforms into Ultron Omega. The Infinity Buster is installed into X, who uses it to destroy Ultron Omega. In the aftermath, the virus is neutralized, but since the Reality Stone was cracked, the universes cannot be separated again. The heroes agree to protect the new world and split the Infinity Stones between them to keep them safe. In a post-credits scene, Jedah tells Death that he has another plan, but Thanos arrives seeking vengeance against them. Believing the Satsui no Hadō is capable of killing immortals like Death and Jedah, he prepares to attack them with a Gohadouken. ==Development==
Development
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 their licensing deal with Capcom, instead opting to move its viable properties towards their self-published game titles, such as Disney Infinity; this resulted in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins being delisted from the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in 2013. However, in May 2016, Disney announced its decision to discontinue self-publishing efforts and switch over to a licensing-only model, allowing third-party game developers, including Capcom, to negotiate licenses with Marvel once again. The same year on December 3, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was officially unveiled during Sony's PlayStation Experience event; its first gameplay footage debuted on the same day following the conclusion of Capcom Cup 2016. Norio Hirose, a programmer who had previously worked on X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, as well as other Capcom fighting games, such as Project Justice and Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000, served as Infinites director. Game development involved Capcom Japan, Capcom USA, and Marvel Games. According to Mike Jones, Executive Producer at Marvel Games, Infinite was designed to be a "more elegant and simplified" game which remained as "complex and hardcore" as past Marvel vs. Capcom installments. While the developers sought to keep the core elements of the series intact, such as air combos, they also wanted Infinite to push away from its predecessors, resulting in several changes to the series' traditional formula. To further differentiate Infinite, the developers opted to use the Unreal Engine 4 to develop more cinematic and modern visuals, as opposed to the stylized art direction used in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. According to Producer Evans and Associate Producer Peter Rosas, the development team examined the strengths and weaknesses of each returning character and adjusted them by providing new moves and abilities, hoping to make every fighter viable. In terms of roster selection, characters were chosen based on two aspects: their potential interactions within the story and their gameplay style. Marvel staff members worked closely with the team, providing feedback to maintain the authenticity of their characters' portrayals. Beyond appealing to genre and series fans, Capcom sought to target a diverse audience with Infinite and bring in casual players who were fans of Marvel's movies, comic books, and television shows. To this end, the developers wanted to introduce a more robust, cinematic story compared to previous Marvel vs. Capcom titles. Infinite's story mode script was penned by writer Paul Gardner, with oversight from Rosemann and Marvel's gaming division. Marvel provided feedback to Capcom on the revisions, animations, music, and presentation of the overall story mode experience. Frank Tieri, the lead writer for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, has also confirmed his involvement with Infinite. Infinite also does not include any currency systems similar to Street Fighter Vs "Fight Money". ==Release==
Release
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was released for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, on September 19, 2017, in North America and Europe, and September 21 in Japan. The game was available in three editions: a standard edition, a Deluxe Edition, and a ''Collector's Edition''. Pre-orders for the standard edition include the Evil Ryu and Warrior Thor alternate in-game costumes. A story mode demo was released on June 12, 2017, following Sony's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. In February 2018, Infinite was listed on the Microsoft Store as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. To coincide with the game's release, Capcom announced their first global tournament series for Infinite called Battle for the Stones. In addition to extending special invitations to the Evolution Championship Series' seven Marvel vs. Capcom 3 champions, Capcom selected six community events to act as "Infinity Stone Tournaments". For example, the Space Stone allowed its bearer to swap their position within the tournament bracket to face a different opponent, while the Mind Stone allowed its bearer to pick their opponent's team. Fellow competitors could steal Infinity Stones by successfully defeating their current owners. Downloadable content The "2017 Character Pass" includes six DLC fighters: Black Panther, Black Widow, Monster Hunter, Sigma, Venom, and Winter Soldier. Black Panther, Monster Hunter, and Sigma were released on October 17, 2017, while Black Widow, Venom, and Winter Soldier were released on December 5. Players could also obtain the Superior Spider-Man alternate costume by pre-ordering Spider-Man: Homecoming through the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One online stores before October 24, 2017. On October 17, Capcom released three themed costume packs, each containing six outfits: the Avenging Army Pack (Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, Dante, Spencer, Arthur), the World Warriors Pack (Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hulk, Chris, Ryu, Chun-Li), and the Mystic Masters Pack (Doctor Strange, Dormammu, Ghost Rider, Morrigan, Firebrand, Nemesis). The costumes can also be purchased individually or altogether with the "Premium Costume Pass". Related media In February 2017, Hasbro announced a Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite toy line during their presentation at the American International Toy Fair. Later in May, Marvel announced a series of Marvel vs. Capcom-themed comic book variant covers, which became available in comic stores throughout August. Marvel also published a GameStop-exclusive comic book based on the game. In September, Marvel revealed a new wave of Funko Pop! collectibles, featuring the playable cast from Infinite in their premium alternate costumes. The collectibles were released in November 2017. ==Reception==
Reception
Pre-release In pre-release coverage, Infinites departure from some of the series' long-standing gameplay mechanics, namely three-on-three battles and character assist moves, for the sake of accessibility was met with mixed reception. Suriel Vazquez of Game Informer and Wesley Yin-Poole of Eurogamer stated that Infinite could end up being a divisive game, especially to the hardcore audience, since both mechanics had defined the Marvel vs. Capcom series for nearly two decades. Early criticism was directed at Infinite less stylized art direction. Alex Donaldson of VG247 stated that "the art style just feels off — or at worst, unfinished...as it stands right now the art style is a mistake when compared to Marvel vs. Capcom 3". Figueroa wrote that "the developers have chosen a simplistic and, in our opinion, insufficiently detailed character design that we think diminishes the fighters' personalities". Following complaints about the quality of certain character models, particularly on the Capcom side of the roster, the developers announced plans for a day-one patch that would focus on artistic improvements. Post-release Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was released to average to positive reviews, according to Metacritic, which provided aggregated scores of 77, 72, and 69 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows versions, respectively. Huskey labeled the character design as "distractingly bad and stiff", and found the orchestral soundtrack to be "forgettable and easily ignored". VentureBeat Mike Minotti expressed his disappointment with the game's smaller selection of fighters, especially compared to its predecessors, and the meager amount of newcomers. another game with similar gameplay to the Marvel vs. Capcom series, in which Infinite was negatively compared to and overshadowed by. It also received "Best Fighting Game of 2017" nominations by IGN, The Game Awards, and the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, but lost to Injustice 2. In addition, it received nominations for "Control Precision" and "Game, Franchise Fighting" at the 17th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, but lost to Cuphead and Tekken 7, respectively. Sales According to their sales plans for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2018, Capcom expected Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite to sell two million units worldwide. The game saw poor first-week sales in the United Kingdom, debuting at #12 on the all-formats chart. The PlayStation 4 version peaked at #16 in the individual formats chart, while the Xbox One version failed to reach the Top 40. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version ranked #8 on the Media Create sales chart after its first week, selling 8,273 copies; the Xbox One version did not make it into the Top 20. This marked a significant drop from the 80,966 units Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds had sold in a similar time period. It ranked #6 in the United States' list of top-selling games for September 2017, and #19 in the US PlayStation Store's September download charts. In its first half report of the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2018, Capcom reported that over 900,000 units had been shipped in the period ending September 30, 2017. In its third quarter report of the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2018, Capcom disclosed that Infinite had sold one million units as of December 31, 2017, missing its initial sales target. In their 2018 integrated report, Capcom described sales for Infinite as weak, stating "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite delivered a certain level of sales, primarily overseas owing to deep-rooted popularity, but underperformed overall". As of March of 2025, the game has sold 2.4 million copies in overall sales. ==Legacy==
Legacy
In May 2024, prominent fighting game community member and content creator Maximilian Dood, alongside artist and video game modder Ryn/WistfulHopes, spearheaded the development of a mod to overhaul the game's graphics. The mod, titled Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond, introduces a cel-shaded art style akin to Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Beyond was released online for free in December 2024. ==Notes==
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