The store page for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls says the game has 20 iconic Marvel characters at launch. This page narrows the meaning of that sentence. It is a launch-scope guide, not a guessed name list. The store text checked on 2026-08-09 does not enumerate all 20 names, so the current responsible action is to preserve the count, define the evidence fields, and wait for the official roster or live character-select screen before publishing individual entries.
Launch versus expanding roster
“At launch” is a boundary, while “expanding roster” describes future growth. Keep the two labels in every index row. A later character can be official and playable without being part of the original launch 20. This prevents a new release from changing an older launch fact retroactively.
The Roster page owns individual verification. The Year 1 roster owns the separate pass scope. If an official announcement uses a different count, add a dated update and explain whether it changes the product’s launch definition or only the current roster.
Verify a name from two surfaces
Prefer a first-party announcement plus the in-game select screen. If only one is available, label the entry according to that evidence. A trailer screenshot can suggest a character but may show a costume or story appearance. A community list can help find an official source but should not define the canonical 20.
Record official spelling, source URL, date, and whether the character is available in the base game without the Year 1 pass. If the menu shows a lock, record the exact lock wording. Do not infer that a lock means DLC; it could represent progression, a future release, or a different mode.
Keep kits out of the count
A launch index should not use move damage, tier, combo ease, or team synergy to determine whether a character is present. Those are separate verified fields. A character is counted as a launch entry because the official roster or live game identifies it in that scope. A costume does not create another row, and a lobby avatar does not create a playable row.
When a move list becomes available, link a detailed character page rather than adding a large unverified table to this scope note. The Combat hub owns general controls and combo practice; Teams owns composition experiments.
Publish a change safely
When a first-party roster reveal supplies a name, add the row with its source and check date. When a character becomes playable, add the availability state and live test. When a post-launch character arrives, keep it outside the launch 20 and link the relevant pass or base-game update. Then add a short entry in Updates so readers can see why the index changed.
If the count or scope conflicts across sources, do not choose the larger list. Preserve both statements with dates and ask which product, edition, or release milestone each refers to. The Steam page’s base AppID remains the canonical identity.
For a player who only wants to choose a first character, the safest route is to open the live select screen, note which entries are immediately selectable, and then practice one move with the chosen entry. This turns the launch boundary into a practical decision without claiming that rarity, story importance, or trailer prominence predicts combat value. If the menu contains filters, record the filter name and whether it changes the visible count. A filter can show a subset without changing the official launch roster.
If an official reveal arrives after this page is published, preserve the previous count and date in the update record. Add the new name to the appropriate current-roster page only after checking whether the announcement describes launch, post-launch, or an edition-specific unlock. That distinction protects readers who bought the base game from a page that accidentally treats every promotional appearance as included content.
Launch roster FAQ
Can this page list all 20 names now?
Only after the names are supported by an official roster or live game. The store page establishes the count but not the full list in the checked text.
Are Year 1 characters part of the original 20?
Keep them separate. The pass is a post-launch related product unless an official scope update says otherwise.
Does a costume count as a launch character?
No. Count playable identities, not cosmetic items.