Marvel Tokon pirates claim that the pirated version outperforms the official release.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has been facing significant challenges on PC. With a “Mixed” user score on Steam, only 47% of players have left positive reviews, and many have pointed fingers at performance issues. Gamers are experiencing inconsistent frame rates, crashes, and online connectivity problems, even on systems that exceed the developer’s recommended specifications.

In contrast, the PlayStation 5 version runs much more smoothly, leading to speculation that some form of digital rights management (DRM) software might be the culprit. Major publishers often resort to controversial solutions like Denuvo to deter piracy, but these can also consume resources and degrade game performance.

Interestingly, players have managed to bypass the DRM in Marvel Tokon in just 11 days, as noted by a site tracking such developments. A Reddit user shared that despite facing significant performance issues during the game’s recent open beta, they could run the cracked version at a steady 60 frames per second on the highest settings. They also mentioned that they didn’t need to preload shaders for a smooth experience, which is a requirement for the official version. However, they did encounter some stuttering during super moves and in the menus. Other users on a gaming forum echoed these findings, reporting that the cracked version performed much better on their systems.

The Reddit user pointed out that while the game runs significantly better without the DRM, other background processes could still be impacting performance. Marvel Tokon runs multiple instances of Sony’s SDK, which is tied to the PlayStation Network, along with Easy Anti-Cheat software, both of which could contribute to the issues.

Sony likely implemented DRM in the Steam version to curb piracy and prevent data mining, but players have already found ways to explore the game’s files, uncovering leaked characters. In a humorous nod, Deadpool even references character leaks in-game, acknowledging the situation. Ultimately, the DRM appears to have failed in its primary goal of deterring pirates while delivering a subpar experience for paying PC players.

While it’s not unusual for publishers to eventually remove DRM from their titles after launch, this process can take several months or even years. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long for Marvel Tokon, or these issues may continue to impact the game’s popularity.

Bad PC port, Hulk no like.