Excelsior, true believers! Get ready for an arcade beat ’em up dream team-up as publisher Dotemu and developer Tribute Games – the acclaimed duo behind the smash hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – have officially unveiled MARVEL Cosmic Invasion.
This is an all-new, arcade-style brawler featuring a star-studded roster of Marvel heroes and villains. Revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct, the game is set to launch in 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Inspired by the colourful golden eras of Marvel comics, particularly the vibrant 90s, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion features stunning hand-drawn animation and pixel art that perfectly captures the spirit of classic arcade brawlers.
The action-packed announcement trailer gave us our first look at the initial playable roster, uniting legends like Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Storm, Phyla-Vell, Venom, and Nova against hordes of menacing foes.
Annihilation Looms: A Galaxy-Spanning Adventure
The story sees the immortal Super Villain Annihilus launching his deadly Annihilation Wave across the galaxy, threatening all life. Earth’s mightiest heroes and cosmic champions must unite, brawling their way from the streets of New York City to the bizarre depths of the Negative Zone to stop Annihilus’ cosmic reign of terror.
Innovate and Dominate: The Cosmic Swap System
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion introduces the innovative Cosmic Swap system. Players choose a team of two characters and can instantly tag between them mid-fight. This allows for unique team-ups, strategic use of distinct superpowers and special attacks, and devastating combo potential.
Experimenting with different duos while unlocking stellar power-ups promises deep, engaging gameplay across a fantastic collection of Marvel locales.
Hero Up Together: Co-op, Crossplay, and Accessibility
This cosmic brawl is built for teamwork! MARVEL Cosmic Invasion supports four-player drop-in/drop-out local and online co-op, ensuring you can always team up with friends.
Crucially, the game will also feature crossplay, allowing heroes across all platforms to unite against Annihilus. Dotemu and Tribute Games are also including a range of accessibility features, making it easier for the whole family to join the fight.
A Passion Project from Proven Talent
The teams at Dotemu and Tribute Games are clearly pouring their love for Marvel and classic arcade games into this project.
“MARVEL Cosmic Invasion celebrates a universe that’s enthralled our team since childhood, and the genuine honour of being entrusted with this incredible roster also begins a new era for Dotemu’s work with the best entertainment franchises in the world,” said Cyrille Imbert, CEO of Dotemu. “MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is truly a lifetime in the making – and after witnessing Tribute Games’ unwavering devotion to the fans and passion for beloved characters firsthand throughout the development of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, we knew teaming up with them for a modern evolution of arcade-style MARVEL action was the only choice.“
Tribute Games CEO and co-founder, Jean-François Major adds: “I’m quite sure I speak for the whole team at Tribute Games when I say we are profoundly honoured to work on MARVEL Cosmic Invasion. This project allows us to pay homage not only to the iconic MARVEL characters but also to the classic arcade games that shaped our love for gaming. We approach this cherished license with the utmost respect, infusing every pixel with the care and passion it deserves. We once again set out to modernize and push forward the genre while respecting what made the classics great. We couldn’t ask for better partners at MARVEL and Dotemu who both understand and share our passion. They amplify our dream for this project.“
Haluk Mentes, Head of MARVEL Games, comments: “At Marvel Games we feel privileged to make games that we ourselves want to play. Our whole team are huge fans of Tribute and Dotemu’s work, so it was inevitable that we’d assemble with them to bring players the ultimate Marvel Beat’ em Up, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion – a game we can’t wait for players to dig into!“
Building on Acclaimed Beat ’em Up Foundations
Dotemu and Tribute Games have already proven their mastery of the modern beat ’em up genre. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a critical and commercial triumph, earning a 4.5/5 from us. We called it “an absolute joy”. Dotemu also published the phenomenal Streets of Rage 4, which we lauded in our review as “an utter triumph” and “one of the best games of the year.”
Expectations for MARVEL Cosmic Invasion are sky-high.
Key Features to Get Hyped For
- Arcade-Style Beat ’em Up Action: Classic side-scrolling brawls modernised.
- Iconic Marvel Roster: Play as Cap, Wolverine, Spidey, Storm, Venom, and many more.
- Cosmic Swap System: Tag between two heroes for unique combos.
- Stunning Pixel Art & Animation: Inspired by 90s Marvel comics.
- 4-Player Co-op: Local and online with drop-in/drop-out.
- Crossplay Enabled: Team up across platforms!
- Accessibility Features: Fun for the whole family.
Get Ready for a Cosmic Beatdown in 2025!
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is shaping up to be the ultimate Marvel beat ’em up experience, crafted by developers who truly understand and love the genre. Keep your eyes peeled for more character reveals and gameplay details ahead of its launch on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, and PC in 2025.
This is one cosmic adventure you won’t want to miss
