Are you familiar with Marvel comics, movies, and TV shows but new to the world of Marvel vs. Capcom? This crossover series was one of the first experiences to bring beloved characters from multiple franchises into one iconic fighting game. The series features team-based gameplay, allowing players to build their dream team of characters from both the Marvel and Capcom universes. Want to see X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Avengers vs. Devil May Cry, or Spider-Man vs. Mega Man? You can get all of that and more in Marvel vs. Capcom!

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a fan-favorite in the series and is returning to Evo 2023 through our new Throwback Tournament initiative. In UMVC3, players duke it out in 3v3 tag-based battles, optimizing their team to build synergy and extend their combos for maximum damage. UMVC3 is easy to pick up and rewarding to master. Players can go from executing simple auto combos with the repeated press of a single button to full-fledged assist-coordinated onslaughts!

The first thing any newcomer will do is check out the roster. With 50 fighters in the game, we created a quick overview of ten popular characters to give you a place to start. There’s plenty more to learn about each character, but this will give you an idea of what they are about and how to use them.

Don’t worry about mastering an entire team at once. Just learn one character at a time. From there, you can start thinking about how each character elevates the capabilities of others on the roster. Then you can move into deciding point, middle, and anchor placement to finalize your team!

Doctor Doom:

If you’re big on Marvel comics, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of the all-powerful Doctor Doom. He is the ruler of Latveria with a genius intellect and mastery of sorcery, technology, and martial arts, making him one of the most fearsome villains in the Marvel universe. Doom is immediately recognizable with his full suit of armor, complete with a metal mask and green cloak.

In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Doctor Doom uses an array of projectiles, from lasers, to missiles. These long-distance attacks give Doom great control of the battlefield, keeping his opponents at bay until he’s ready to move in with his jet pack dashes and Foot Dive special move. While he’s not an ideal choice for being a Point character, his toolkit elevates the rest of the team.

Dante:

Dante is a half-demon devil hunter for hire known for his “Smokin' Sick Style.” He’s got the final word on Cool with his slick red jacket and an unreal arsenal of weapons. He is the twin brother of another character on this list, but more on him later! This wisecracking, swords-slashing gunslinger doesn’t back down from a fight, even if it's against the King of the Underworld.

Dante has an unreal amount of moves to play with. The core of his gameplay revolves around using his different weapons through normal attacks, combos, specials, and Hyper Combos. Just how many weapons does this guy have? Players can use Dante’s sword, dual pistols, fire and ice nunchaku, electric guitar, gauntlet/greaves set, a laser cannon, rocket launcher, and a sawed-off shotgun. He’s a jack of all trades and can be effective from long and close distances. While he has a robust toolkit, players don’t need to learn every move to make this character a force to be reckoned with.

Wolverine:

For X-Men fans, Wolverine needs no introduction, but just in case, we’ll give him one anyway. He’s the best at what he does, thanks to his nearly indestructible adamantium skeleton and claws combined with his incredibly fast healing factor. It takes a lot to get this guy down. He’s gone toe to toe with the Incredible Hulk and won! (Depending on the comic!) He’s tough, sometimes rude, and someone you’d want on your team. Now would you want him on your UMVC3 team? That’s up to you to decide!

Gameplay-wise, Wolverine is a rushdown character through and through. That means he’s all about getting close and personal with his Adamantium claws. He has multiple options that can help close the gap between players, along with some fun moves like Berserker Barrage and Berserker Rage that get more hits the more the button is pressed. If you’re just getting started in fighting games, Wolverine might be a great choice to learn the ropes.

Zero:

The deuteragonist of the Mega Man X series, Zero, is a high-ranking Maverick Hunter who would rather fight first and ask questions later, unlike his partner X. Created by the evil Doctor Wily, Zero was intended to be his finest creation, but was too unstable and sealed for around 100 years. Once freed from his chamber, Zero eventually goes against his earlier programming and becomes a force for good, fighting side by side with X and later starring in his own series, Mega Man Zero.

Zero is a character you want to come to start the match with. This rushdown/cross-up character utilizes his trusty Z-Saber energy sword and Z-Buster arm cannon. Zero can string together extensive combos through multiple techniques. Just be careful. This robot has low health! The more familiar you get with Zero’s toolkit, the more you’ll know when it’s worth the risk to rush in.

Sentinel:

Sentinel is one of many giant robots from the X-Men comics tasked with one directive: Hunt all mutants. Dr. Bolivar Trask is their original creator and designed the machines to “protect humanity” based on his hatred towards mutant-kind. There are dozens of variations, but the ones found in Marvel vs. Capcom are among the most iconic.

Sentinel has access to some of the most damaging attacks in the game, ranging from close-up strikes to long-range missiles and lasers. This deadly machine has impressive reach thanks to its extendable limbs. Sentinel can also command the air thanks to its thrusters and launching moves.

Morrigan:

Morrigan Aensland is one of the main protagonists of the Darkstalkers series of fighting games also made by Capcom. She is a powerful succubus and the rightful ruler of Makai, the Darkrealm. While she might be royalty, she wants nothing to do with her rule and would rather be out in the human world having fun.

Morrigan has numerous magical abilities like energy manipulation, shape-shifting, and flight. Her Soul Fist projectile can create openings from a distance, and it even has an anti-air option where it shoots upward at leaping foes. Morrigan has another anti-air move called the Shadow Blade that transforms her wings into a swordlike shape.

Magneto:

For most of the publication of the X-Men comics, Magneto has been the primary antagonist, standing at odds against Charles Xavier due to their differing philosophies on how mutant-kind and humanity should coexist. While things have changed in recent years (check out Jonathan Hickman’s run of X-Men starting in 2019), the metal-manipulating mutant typically means bad news for Xavier’s crew of gifted youngsters. He literally removes the Adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton at one point.

Gameplay-wise, Magneto uses his mastery over magnetism to hover around the stage, shooting projectiles and adjusting the polarity of his opponents. He’s also got a handy 8-way dash that makes getting around a breeze, not to mention he’s also got added flight abilities. Magneto maintains his status as one of the best characters in the series in UMVC3.

Wesker:

Albert Wesker was once the captain of the US police team S.T.A.R.S. like franchise protagonists and UMVC3 playable characters Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield. Unfortunately, he turned to the dark side in his quest for power. Now, Wesker has superhuman abilities thanks to injecting himself with the nefarious T-Virus.

Wesker is fast. Other characters might seem fast, but Wesker is so fast it's unreal. He can also teleport in several directions, making him a nightmare for your opponent. This also makes him a bit tough to master, a lot of his moves are very technical, but the payoff is well worth it. On top of his physical prowess, he uses his Samurai-Edge Custom handgun for long-range attacks.

Nova:

Richard “Richie” Rider, AKA Nova, is the leader of the Nova Corps, an organization of intergalactic peacekeepers. He is also the host of the Nova Force, so he can channel its energy into pure power, giving him superpowers like enhanced strength, energy manipulation, and flight. Nova can also exist in the vacuum of space, which is essential in his line of work.

Like many of the characters on this list, Nova has incredible mobility. What makes Nova stand out in this category is his top-tier air dash. It is the fastest in the game! Combine this with the benefits gained from Gravimetric Pulse, a move that converts his red health to extra damage to get back at the opponent.

Vergil:

Remember when we mentioned Dante was a twin? Meet Vergil, his blue coat-wearing, katana-wielding brother. While they might look similar, fashion sense aside, the two couldn’t be more different. They rarely see eye to eye and have likely fought each other more times than they’ve teamed up, but don’t be surprised if you see a team or two with them in attendance during your next play session.

Just because they look alike doesn’t mean these brothers play the same! While Dante is more flashy and combo-oriented, Vergil focuses on making every move count. He makes slow, calculated strikes to take advantage of openings, even from a distance. He can also close the gap with his own teleportation moves. That said, Vergil can create combos that last as long as Dante’s. They might just be a bit tougher to execute.

That was just a glimpse at a few of the incredible characters that are playable in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Want to learn more about your ideal team? A treasure trove of resources is available throughout the community and is waiting to be discovered. Just search up the character you want to see with “UMVC3”!

Not seeing someone who fits your vibe? There are 40 more characters to see! Every character is worth exploring! Check out the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam!

Want to join what could be the largest UMVC3 tournament in Evo history? Sign up to compete and experience all the exciting things we have in store for this year’s event! But don’t wait; registration ends on July 9, 2023, at 11:59 PM PDT!