The Marvel vs. Capcom franchise crashed and burned in late 2017 with the release of the ill-fated Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, whose graphics, presentation, and roster turned fans off so quickly that many did not even bother trying out the gameplay. Infinite’s failures were enough to put the franchise on its back, but not enough to kill the spirit of MvC fandom.
Without a new game to play, the community showed its persisting fervor by turning back to older titles. Modders updated Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with the Community Edition back in 2023, and now we’re getting a fan-fueled update to Infinite.
Though it’s very much still a work in progress, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and Beyond has been developed to the point that we’ll be getting a new gameplay showcase this Friday, and we’ve got some screen shots to tide you over till then.
Infinite & Beyond truly is a communal effort as fighting game fans from all over have been lending their expertise to update Infinite. Transforming the graphics into a more cell-shaded style is perhaps the most conspicuous evolution thus far, but there’s an entire team working on aspects like music, revamped gameplay, and brand new modes.
Prominent fighting game streamer and avid MvC fan Maximilian Dood is helping lead the charge on social media, and it will be on his stream that you can watch the MvCIB showcase this Friday, August 9 at 8 p.m. PT.
The team has been working for about three months thus far, and have dropped a handful of screen shots to show off the visuals of Infinite & Beyond. Here’s a gallery to give you an idea of how things have been progressing:
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This only strengthens the momentum and undeniability of the MvC franchise, which is currently also in the news thanks to the announcement of the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, which includes all of the franchise’s first titles up to Marvel vs. Capcom 2.
As the series continues to move and shake via nostalgic and fan-made contributions, we can’t help but wondering from the background whether or not the stars have finally aligned for an official Marvel vs. Capcom 4 to come to fruition.
You can check out some early video footage of MvCIB below, and then please share your thoughts on Infinite & Beyond as well as on the potential for an MvC4 in the comments below.