Since the Invincible Vs open beta, there’s been a large debate about whether Invincible Vs has the sauce to bring in and keep casuals around for the long run. And despite all of the really well-spoken and well-made videos discussing the topic, it was one particular tweet that I read that got me thinking the most.

This tweet was in response to a discussion about how fighting games can’t simplify gameplay mechanics in hopes to bring in casual players because if a game is made extremely easy to pick up and learn, that only makes things easier for the hardcore section of the community, which, as a result, then makes it even more challenging for someone brand new to fighting games to find something they like.

My response to Promethyus’s tweet is in complete agreement. It’s one of the major reasons something like Dragon Ball FighterZ was such a huge hit. Yes, Dragon Ball, in general, is a huge IP, but it’s also extremely easy to pick up a controller and make your favorite character do cool shit. With that said, the question has to be brought up. When it comes to fighting games, what is “cool shit,” and is Invincible (something I absolutely love) capable of delivering it? To figure this out, I think we need to take a quick detour and take a simple look at the foundation of fighting games.

The two most popular fighting games of all time are Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. Some would suggest that it’s because they were some of the first to make it to market and, through decades of mostly consistent top-tier installments, have developed a fan base that will always show up. And sure, that’s a great reasoning… if you’re a nerd. Do you want to know why MK and SF are so popular?

This is Sub-Zero.

This is Ryu.

What do they have in common? They both shoot blue at their opponents, and shooting blue at your opponents is cool.

This is Scorpion.

This is Ken.

What do they have in common? They’re like Sub-Zero and Ryu, but instead of blue, they shoot fire, or, depending on the region, “red.” And for an entire group of fighting game fans, Red is way cooler than Blue.  

And I’m sorry if what I’m telling you is destroying every complex theory you’ve ever had about how to make fighting games more appealing, but this is what it comes down to. You can keep your frame rates and cancellable supers to yourself while I stuff you in your locker. Does your game have two characters that shoot Red or Blue? I’ll give you one more example just to make sure my point lands. Marvel vs Capcom 2 is one of the most beloved games of all time. I have spent countless hours playing that game, and no, not because I knew who Thanos was. To my friends and me, he was just “the bubble guy.” The same goes for half that roster. I had no clue who any of those people were, but none of that mattered because Capcom understood the formula.

There’s a reason these two have been shaking hands for the better part of two decades. This handshake might as well represent the double helix that is everything important about fighting games. One guy shoots Red and the other shoots Blue, and as a result… Coolest. Game. Ever.

So with all of that said, let’s get back to Invincible. The problem with the game potentially struggling to reach the masses isn’t that it requires players to check out the tutorial to understand the game or that high-ranking players are rage-quitting the game to try to ensure they don’t lose their place on the leaderboards. The last one in particular is a 1% problem. Regular players don’t think like that. So what’s the problem? What should be the real concern with Invincible Vs trying to bring in the casual player? The roster is made up of mostly characters who simply punch. Is there a character in Invincible that even offers players the chance to fire Red or Blue? Is there a Ryu hiding in the shadows?

Cecil

Funny enough, Cecil is the only character on the roster that’s just a dude, but he’s a dude with an energy gun. He also tests the Red and Blue theory the most out of everyone who’s been announced for the game. During rounds, he’s blasting Red left and right, and when players finally land his ultimate, he’s firing a Blue laser from outer space. Seriously, his ultimate mixes firing Blue and space. How is this conversation not already over? Well, like I said, Cecil is just a dude with a gun, and not only that, but he’s a crusty old white man with a gun. When it comes to Cecil, there’s just nothing special about him that’s going to bring in an audience. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are ninjas, and Scorpion is a ZOMBIE NINJA. Oh, and later on, Sub-Zero turns into a new character who is dressed in all black… GHOST NINJA. Meanwhile, Cecil’s just upper management. Finally, a fantasy I’ve always wanted to play out.

Space Racer and Tech Jacket

Both Tech Jacket and Space Racer fire beams, which automatically makes them cool. The problem is that the launch roster is already set. If we ever seen these two in the game its more than likely in 2027 when the season 2 character pass is announced. And if I’m being honest, there are quite a few characters I could see making it in before someone like Space Racer, and you guessed it, those characters are all punchy punch punch.

Conclusion

I think Invincible VS might deal with some early struggles like a lot of new fighting games as it tries to find its footing. Similar to something like Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, though, which never seemed to stop fighting for its well-deserved success, Invincible Vs may never feel like the biggest fighting game in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s incapable of having big moments. If you had told me that Power Rangers was going to be successful enough to announce a crossover event with Street Fighter, I would have told you you were crazy. On top of that, in 2026, we’ve seen some pretty wild stuff from the fighting game community. Dragon Ball FighterZ is about to get a brand new character added to the game after not receiving any kind of content for nearly 4 years. Besides that, Guilty Gear Strive, which came out in 2021, just received a 2.0 update. I bring all this up simply to say that there’s a world where Invincible Vs isn’t the biggest game of all-time, but manages to find a dedicated audience that never stops enjoying such a fun game, and people like me get to watch Quarter Up announce a new season of fighters every year to coincide with the latest season of the TV show. I guess even with my presentation of “popular game has a red guy and a blue guy,” I’m still suggesting that Invincible can go against the grain and find success. I mean, that’s kind of the point of the show, right? Mark gets knocked down, and he gets back up. He gets his arms and legs broken, and he gets back up. He gets his guts ripped out, he takes a little nap, and then gets back up. He gets… my point is Mark goes through a lot, but eventually he gets back up and saves the day. Is this Invincible Vs’s future? Well, as a long-time fan, I certainly hope so.