As we covered in our review, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is a fun fighting game hampered by a surprisingly poor presentation. Players may have had their suspicions as to the causes for this, but games historian and reporter Liam Robertson has spoken to unnamed sources from within Capcom. They revealed details about budget issues which affected the game's development in several ways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kanICweLFM

In the video, Liam cites that the entire budget for Infinite was a little more than half the budget given to Street Fighter V's ongoing DLC support. Models for characters were ripped from other Capcom titles, primarily Marvel vs Capcom 3 when available, and little work was done to adapt these models to Infinite's more realistic art style. Higher ups in the company were convinced that this wouldn't be an issue and only greenlit what day 1 corrections they could once fans on social media began tearing the game apart.

In an additional twist, recently announced DLC characters Black Panther and Monster Hunter were completed months prior to development and were once considered for the game's launch roster. This might explain why they appear alongside a Wakanda stage in the game's campaign mode. In the end, Capcom decided to hold them back as paid additions to the roster.

Quick Take

All the above information is unconfirmed of course, but Liam's sources have often been right on the money. Also, even if I didn't trust where this information was coming from, I'd have to say that it sounds plausible. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite feels like a budget game in so many ways, and it's disappointing to see such a standout franchise morph into a shell of its former self. It probably wasn't possible to make a proper sequel with the time and money that the team was given, and fans shouldn't settle for substandard products just to support the franchise.

Are Marvel vs Capcom Infinite budget issues really to blame for the game's faults? Is it right to hold back finished characters as paid DLC? Let us know in the comments below!