# Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
**Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite** is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with [Marvel Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-entertainment), released on September 19, 2017 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4), [Xbox One](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-one), and Windows PC.[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/games/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-smashes-back-with-new-details) It is the latest mainline entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which had shipped a cumulative 7 million units and returned with this title after a five-year hiatus.[2](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e161205b.html) The game pairs characters from Marvel Comics and Capcom's game franchises in 2v2 tag-team battles built around the six Infinity Stones, and it was the first entry in the franchise to include a cinematic story mode.[3](https://www.marvelvscapcominfinite.com/features/index.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | September 19, 2017, simultaneous on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC in North America[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/games/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-smashes-back-with-new-details) |
| Team format | Accessible, free-form 2v2 tag battles, replacing the three-on-three format of the previous entries[3](https://www.marvelvscapcominfinite.com/features/index.html) |
| Signature mechanic | One of six Infinity Stones chosen before each match, granting an "Infinity Surge" ability and an "Infinity Storm" super move[4](https://capcom.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_vs._Capcom%3A_Infinite) |
| Story mode | First cinematic story mode in franchise history; heroes and villains of merged universes battle the threat Ultron Sigma[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/games/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-smashes-back-with-new-details) |
| Metacritic scores | 77 (Xbox One), 72 (PlayStation 4), 69 (Windows)[5](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/critic-reviews/) |
| DLC | Deluxe Edition at $89.99 included six 2017 characters: Sigma, Black Panther, Monster Hunter, Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and Venom[6](https://news.capcomusa.com/strumslinger/blog/2017/09/18/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-is-available-tomorrow-on-playstation-4-xbox-one-and-pc) |
## Development and announcement
Capcom announced the game on December 5, 2016, describing it as a return for the series after five years and part of a broader effort to revive dormant properties.[2](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e161205b.html) The announcement named Captain Marvel and [Iron Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/iron-man) for the Marvel side and Ryu of Street Fighter and X of Mega Man X for the Capcom side, and stated the game would target casual players drawn to Marvel films, comics, and television through a robust cinematic Story Mode alongside online multiplayer.[2](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e161205b.html)
Producer Yoshinori Ono, Capcom's Corporate Officer and executive producer for its fighting games, explained that the title was deliberately left unnumbered: the team wanted the name to feel approachable to all fans and to remove focus from the idea that the game was a sequel, since several years had passed since the previous entry.[7](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html) The word "Infinite" refers to Marvel's Infinity Stones, which also shaped the gameplay.[7](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html) Capcom identified two audience segments, core Capcom fighting-game players and a broad Marvel fan base, and designed the mechanics for the first group and the story for the second.[7](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html) During development, Capcom and Marvel held video conferences nearly every other day to exchange ideas.[8](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/annual/2017/annual_2017_01.pdf)
## Gameplay
Infinite uses a 2v2 tag-team structure, returning to the smaller teams of earlier entries and abandoning the three-on-three battles of [Marvel vs. Capcom](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-vs-capcom) 3 and [Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-marvel-vs-capcom-3).[9](https://www.surrealresolution.com/index.php/2017/10/24/review-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-ps4/) Traditional call-in assist attacks, part of the series since the first game, were removed; combat is entirely tag-based, which makes matches more tag-heavy and reduces the long assist-driven combos of the previous games.[10](https://segmentnext.com/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-fun-yet-flawed/) The control layout also changed, moving away from the previous entry's light, medium, and heavy attack system back to Marvel vs. Capcom 2's four-button arrangement of light and heavy punches and kicks.[9](https://www.surrealresolution.com/index.php/2017/10/24/review-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-ps4/)
**Infinity Stones.** Each player selects one of the six [Infinity Stones](https://www.edgepedia.org/infinity-stones) before a match. The stone grants one activatable ability, the Infinity Surge, and, when a meter is charged, a more powerful Infinity Storm.[4](https://capcom.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_vs._Capcom%3A_Infinite) The stones have distinct effects: the Reality Stone's Surge launches a homing energy burst, while the Soul Stone can leech health from opponents, revive a fallen tag partner, and allow control of both characters for duo team attacks.[10](https://segmentnext.com/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-fun-yet-flawed/) • [11](https://www.criticalhit.net/review/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-great-fighting-gross-visuals/) Reviewers generally treated the stone system as the game's most distinctive addition, with GamesRadar calling the Infinity Stones the biggest worthwhile wrinkle added to the formula.[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-fighting-games/)
## Story mode
For the first time in franchise history, the Marvel and Capcom universes collide in a cinematic story mode in which heroes and villains battle together to save their merged worlds from Ultron Sigma, a fusion of the [Mega Man X](https://www.edgepedia.org/mega-man-x) villain Sigma and Marvel's Ultron.[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/games/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-smashes-back-with-new-details) The story features a battle waged over the six Infinity Stones, which also tie into the game's special moves and abilities.[7](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html) The writing team included Paul Gardner, a writer familiar with both companies' characters, and the mode contains more than 80 minutes of recorded cinematic scenes, which Capcom compared to more than half of a feature film's runtime.[7](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html)
## Reception
The game received mixed reviews. Metacritic aggregated scores of 77 for the Xbox One version, 72 for the PlayStation 4 version, and 69 for the Windows version.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/critic-reviews/) Critics praised the core fighting: Destructoid noted the return of the working four-button system from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and observed that removing traditional assists cut down on casual spam, since players must tag to meaningfully combo with a partner.[13](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/) Metacritic-captured critic reviews described the gameplay as feeling nice and free and the focus on Infinity Stones as an excellent choice.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/critic-reviews/)
The roster and presentation drew the criticism. Reviewers noted the absence of X-Men characters and found the graphics lacking a comics flair.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/critic-reviews/) The Guardian wrote that the third game's inky art style of thick black outlines had been replaced with what it called a "Toys R Us" aesthetic, and that where Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 reveled in the mismatches of its sprawling roster, Infinite turned everyone into an all-rounder.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/25/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review) GamesRadar's review called the roster lackluster and judged the game content merely to exist beside the flashy cel-shaded MvC3 and the technical precision of MvC2.[15](https://www.gamesradar.com/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-rarely-makes-satisfactory-justification-for-its-own-team-ups-or-face-offs/) User reviews on Metacritic echoed the complaints about a recycled, reduced roster and casualized combat.[16](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/user-reviews/)
## Later history
The game left the competitive fighting-game scene almost completely within two years of release; a Spanish-language retrospective attributed this to the scarcity of roster additions and an artistic direction that convinced almost no one, while noting the gameplay retained the virtues of its predecessor.[17](https://as.com/meristation/2019/04/28/noticias/1556442178_749525.html) In December 2024, fans released the free *Marvel vs.[19](https://www.mvcib.com/) Capcom: Infinite & Beyond* update, which introduced a comic-inspired visual style similar to the acclaimed Marvel vs. Capcom 3.[18](https://los40.com/2024/12/18/puedes-acabar-el-ano-jugando-a-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-beyond/) GamesRadar's 2026 ranking of fighting games still placed Infinite at number 18, citing the Infinity Stones and franchise-spanning roster while acknowledging the harsh criticism of its character visuals and simplified mechanics.[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-fighting-games/)
## References
1. [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Smashes Back with New Details, Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/articles/games/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-smashes-back-with-new-details)
2. [MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE Announced!, Capcom Press Release, December 5, 2016](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e161205b.html)
3. [Features, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite official site](https://www.marvelvscapcominfinite.com/features/index.html)
4. [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Capcom Database, Fandom](https://capcom.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_vs._Capcom%3A_Infinite)
5. [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/critic-reviews/)
6. [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is Available Tomorrow, Capcom News](https://news.capcomusa.com/strumslinger/blog/2017/09/18/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-is-available-tomorrow-on-playstation-4-xbox-one-and-pc)
7. [Developer Interviews 2017 vol.01: Yoshinori Ono, Capcom](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/interview/2017/vol01.html)
8. [Capcom Integrated Report 2017](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/annual/2017/annual_2017_01.pdf)
9. [Review: Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, Surreal Resolution](https://www.surrealresolution.com/index.php/2017/10/24/review-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-ps4/)
10. [Marvel vs Capcom Infinite Review, Fun Yet Flawed, SegmentNext](https://segmentnext.com/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-fun-yet-flawed/)
11. [Marvel vs Capcom Infinite review: Great fighting, gross visuals, Critical Hit](https://www.criticalhit.net/review/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-great-fighting-gross-visuals/)
12. [The 25 best fighting games you can play right now in 2026, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-fighting-games/)
13. [Review: Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Destructoid](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/)
14. [Marvel vs Capcom Infinite review: too much power, no responsibility, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/25/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review)
15. [Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite review, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-review-rarely-makes-satisfactory-justification-for-its-own-team-ups-or-face-offs/)
16. [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite user reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite/user-reviews/)
17. [Todos los juegos de Los Vengadores, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/2019/04/28/noticias/1556442178_749525.html)
18. [Puedes acabar el año jugando a 'Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond', LOS40](https://los40.com/2024/12/18/puedes-acabar-el-ano-jugando-a-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-beyond/)
19. [Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond](https://www.mvcib.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Digital play culture and society › Games in other media and vice versa › Video games based on anime, manga, and comics*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license