Phoenix Cyclops, the first DLC character in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls' Year 1 Pass, will be released on November 2, the game's producer Takeshi Yamanaka announced on the PlayStation Blog alongside the character's gameplay trailer. Ray Chase voices the character, and Classic and Legacy DLC costumes for Cyclops release the same day.
Yamanaka wrote that Cyclops was an early candidate for the roster as a member of the Unbreakable X-Men team, but that his look and fighting style were already well established by past Marvel fighting games. The team's narrative staff proposed the Phoenix version as a way to present him differently, and development continued until the team felt it was adding something new. The Classic and Legacy costumes, he said, are for players who prefer the character's familiar appearance.
Optic Blasts and a Dark Phoenix form
According to the post, Cyclops is designed as an all-rounder who uses a range of Optic Blast attacks at both long and close range, alongside projectiles, rushing attacks, throws, setup tools and wide-area fire attacks drawn from the Phoenix Force.
Using Optic Blasts builds Phoenix Force energy called Solar Shards. With four collected, Cyclops can transform into a Dark Phoenix form that grants a significant temporary power boost but carries risks, including health depletion. Yamanaka said the mechanic is based on the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, in which Cyclops became one of the Phoenix Five and eventually Dark Phoenix. The design deliberately gives Scott Summers a somewhat younger appearance, which Yamanaka said was meant to contrast with the Phoenix Force and convey the burden of the character's choices.
The game's first PlayStation Store sale began on October 7, with the Ultimate Edition discounted, and PlayStation Plus subscribers can try the game through a three-hour Game Trial that started the same day. Attendees at EVO France, which runs October 9 to 11, will be able to play Phoenix Cyclops at the game's booth ahead of release, the post said.
