Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is not on the main EVO 2018 line up, the tournament's organizer explains why
Another potential warning sign for the future of the game
Last night, the official EVO 2018 games line up was unveiled. Eight games will be on the main stage this year at what is essentially the fighting game community's Super Bowl.
During the broadcast, EVO tournament organizer Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar and EVO global business developer Mark "MarkMan" Julio sat in to reveal which games made the cut this year and run through a bit of what they're all about.
As expected, popular titles like Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition and Dragon Ball FighterZ were among those listed, however, it didn't take fans long to notice that there was a glaring omission. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is not a part of the main EVO 2018 line up.
After revealing the line up, Wizard and MarkMan fielded questions from viewers and social media. Naturally, they were prompted with several "When's Marvel?" exclamations from the stream chat.
Wizard addressed the question directly, saying that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has been on a slippery slope as of late and has seemed to "fizzle out."
"We know [MvCI] was on a slippery slope and it had a lot of competition going forward," Mr. Wizard started. "And it just kind of... fizzled.
"It's not to talk smack on Marvel or anything. It's always been a great game for EVO [and] it's had a stoic 15 years at EVO. It was the main game for eight straight years, it was crazy.
"But I don't think people are playing it, and that's the problem. We've always had to support games that people actually play. "
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Wizard goes on to say that he is sorry the game didn't make the cut this year, but assures viewers that there will be a side tournament for it.
The current health of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has been a bit of a mystery as of late. As it stands right now, however, things aren't looking too good.
Leading up to launch, a handful of missteps put a bad a taste in the mouths of fans. The game's big E3 2017 reveal featured a story mode trailer that showcased visuals and characters specifically that just didn't look great. The infamous "Chun-Li face" debuted here.
On top of concerns over the game's graphics (which remain today), the cast of playable characters at launch felt uninspired. Consisting mainly of fighters from the game's predecessor, some of Marvel Infinite's most interesting characters didn't drop until a couple of months after release, available as DLC.
Perhaps the largest gripe fans have with the game, however, is its lack of X-Men or Fantastic Four characters. MvC series mainstays like Wolverine, Magneto, Dr. Doom, and several others are absent in Marvel Infinite, and that's a tough pill to swallow.
Despite all of this, the general consensus about the game seems to be that the gameplay itself is actually fun and a joy to play. However, solid gameplay hasn't seemed to keep fans quite as interested as one might hope.
Marvel Infinite's rocky status is further perpetuated by Capcom's silence. While it's understandable that focus has been shifted over to Street Fighter 5 due to the launch of Arcade Edition last month, the lack of information about the game's future has raised some red flags.
One of the largest of the causes for concern came about at the Battle for the Stones finals back in December, which took place at the PlayStation Experience. When the grand finals of the tournament circuit concluded, no announcement was made.
No hints at new characters, no glimpse at a potential tournament series for 2018, and not even a "look forward to more Marvel Infinite next year!" message. It just kind of... ended.
Juxtaposing this with not one, but two exciting Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition announcements that occurred later that night, and it becomes clear why fans are questioning the future of Marvel Infinite.
We can't say for sure whether or not Capcom will continue to support Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. What we do know is that the company aims to make a big push for eSports this year, and will put focus on creating quality games that will please all customers.
Street Fighter 5 had dark storm clouds above its head for roughly two years after its launch, and with Arcade Edition we've seen a huge turnaround for the game. So, we know that things can change.
The next potential big step for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is the Capcom Pro Tour. When details are revealed on February 19th, Capcom could announce that the game is joining the circuit this year, showing plans for further support and giving players more incentive to pick it back up.
As always, we'll have to wait and see what happens.
Clip source: Red Bull eSports.
