On June 18, Capcom revealed that it’s porting the beloved arcade fighter Marvel Vs. Capcom 2—as well as six other Marvel arcade games—to modern consoles.
However, the new collection won't be released on Xbox consoles, continuing a trend that has some Xbox fans worried. During the recent Nintendo Direct, Capcom announced the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, a new retro bundle of popular fighting and brawling games.
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Returns, But Not for Xbox
A Fan-Favorite Misses Out
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, a true fan-favorite pixel art fighting game from 2000, headlines the new collection. This game hasn’t received a proper console port in over a decade, so a lot of people are extremely excited to play MVC2 and the other games in this new bundle. However, Xbox players will have to watch from the sidelines. As confirmed by Capcom, the MVC Fighting Collection will only be available on PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC.
Xbox Fans React
This decision has been noted by Xbox fans online, who aren’t happy about the exclusion. One frustrated player tweeted, “THIS IS WHY YOUR FANS ARE PISSED! BECAUSE WHEN XBOX MOVE GAMES TO OTHER PLATFORMS, WE STILL DON’T GET GAMES COMING TO XBOX IN 2024,” in response to Capcom’s tweet confirming the lack of an Xbox port.
A Growing Trend of Exclusions
Other Titles Skipping Xbox
MVC Fighting Collection is far from the first game to skip Xbox in the last two years. Titles like Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Monster Hunter Stories, and Gundam Breaker 4 have also skipped Microsoft’s console.
Limited Run Games' Decisions
Limited Run Games, known for remasters and physical ports of older titles, has also occasionally skipped Xbox. In early 2024, two games—Felix the Cat and Rocket Knight Adventures Re-Sparked—only arrived on PlayStation and Switch. Limited Run’s CEO explained on Twitter that this decision was made because Xbox gamers just don’t buy many physical games.
Resident Evil 4's Odd Release
There was also the unusual situation of Resident Evil 4's 2023 remake, which skipped Xbox One but still arrived on PS4. The horror remake did arrive on Series X, however, so it didn’t fully skip Microsoft’s home console.
The Future of Xbox and Third-Party Games
Concerns Over Low Sales and Game Pass
It’s becoming more common for third-party games to skip Xbox. This aligns with previous reports suggesting that some publishers aren’t sure if it’s still worth releasing games on Microsoft’s home console due to low sales and competition from Game Pass.
Major Releases Still Onboard
Despite this trend, big games like Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 2042, Suicide Squad, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still launch on Xbox alongside other platforms. However, if the trend continues, it could make it harder for Xbox to sell consoles as players worry if their favorite franchises will be available on Microsoft’s device in the future.
Editor's Comments
The exclusion of Xbox from the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is a significant disappointment for fans. As more third-party games skip Xbox, concerns grow about the platform's future viability. While major titles still launch on Xbox, the trend of missing out on beloved games could impact the console's appeal.
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