The crossover fighting genre has never been short on ambition. Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series showed how powerful a mascot brawler could be, and other publishers have spent years chasing that same spark. Jump Force brought anime icons together, MultiVersus pitted Warner Bros. properties against one another, and the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl series gave players a playful mix of familiar cartoon faces. PlayStation tried its own hand at the idea back in 2012 with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, a game that pitted characters from God of War, Infamous, Sly Cooper, BioShock, and other franchises against each other across a variety of stages. It was classic fighting-game fun, but critics and players often felt it was a little thin on content. There were not enough fighters or stages, and new content did not arrive quickly enough to keep the conversation alive. As of 2026, Sony has not announced a sequel, so any talk of PlayStation All-Stars 2 remains a thought experiment rather than a confirmed roadmap. Still, if Bluepoint Games and Sony ever wanted to revisit the concept, Marvel Rivals offers a very clear blueprint.
Marvel Rivals Makes the Case for a Steady Beat
Marvel Rivals has committed to releasing a brand-new hero every month and a half, which sounds very promising for a live-service game. The title already launched with more than 30 heroes to choose from, so adding new ones at that rate means players have a lot of content to look forward to. That cadence is the real lesson. If PlayStation All-Stars 2 were to come out and wanted to keep its audience’s attention, it may need to do the exact same thing. A fighting game lives on roster speculation, stage reveals, and the constant question of who might join next. A slow drip of content can kill that energy, while a reliable schedule can turn it into a weekly conversation.
The original PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale did not have that luxury. Its roster and stage list were limited, and the post-launch support did not move fast enough to satisfy players who were already comparing it to Super Smash Bros. A sequel would need to launch with a strong foundation and then keep building on it. Fans can picture a version of the game that treats each new fighter as an event, complete with a stage, music, and maybe a small in-game celebration. That kind of rhythm gives players a reason to return even when their favorite character is not the newest addition.
| Lesson from Marvel Rivals | What PlayStation All-Stars 2 should do |
|---|---|
| Launch with a deep roster | Start with a broad mix of PlayStation legends and guest fighters |
| Add heroes on a regular rhythm | Release a new fighter roughly every six weeks |
| Treat stages as content | Pair new fighters with fresh arenas |
| Keep the audience engaged | Keep the post-launch content stream free |
Sony’s IP Vault Is Deep Enough
Sony has a massive library of intellectual property that it could pull characters from, giving the game the potential for so much exciting post-launch content. The original PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale already included iconic series such as God of War and Infamous, and a sequel could expand that with the likes of Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, and even Astro Bot. Those names alone cover several generations of PlayStation history, from grim mythological action to post-apocalyptic drama to cheerful robot platforming. A launch roster could blend legacy PlayStation faces with modern stars, while guest characters from the wider gaming world could add surprise and spectacle.
That wider reach matters. The first game already reached beyond Sony’s own catalog, and a sequel could do the same with even more confidence. As long as the game launched with a strong roster and the studio added to it on a pretty regular basis, it would have a shot at maintaining a consistent playerbase. The key is not just quantity, but variety. Players want to see different eras, different genres, and different playstyles represented. A fighting game roster is a conversation starter, and PlayStation has plenty of conversation starters to offer.
Stages Could Steal the Show
New playable fighters are great, but these types of games also need exciting stages for players to fight in. Luckily, all the franchises PlayStation All-Stars 2 could pull characters from also have a plethora of unique locales that could make for fantastic stages. Players could fight through the streets of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s New York, compete inside a Horizon Zero Dawn Cauldron, and explore the massive galaxy of planets from Astro Bot. Those locations are not just backdrops; they are memory machines. A good stage can remind players why they love a franchise before the first punch lands.
Just like with the characters, the studio could also expand its stages to dozens of non-Sony franchises, making for the ultimate video game-themed fighting game. A stage can do things a fighter cannot. It can shift, transform, or tell a tiny story through its hazards and layout. If PlayStation All-Stars 2 paired every major fighter drop with a memorable arena, the game would feel generous in a way the original sometimes did not.
Free Content Is the Real Game-Changer
As long as the studio kept the content free, PlayStation All-Stars 2 could become a massive success. Not only would it give players so much content to experience, but it would also be uncommon for a fighting game. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may have had purchasable DLC, but those fighters and stages were not released every month and a half. Alongside that, MultiVersus does not offer its new characters for free, and games such as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl had too few character additions. A steady, free content stream would be a statement.
Of course, nothing has been announced yet, so a sequel may not even be on the horizon. Any shot at a sequel will definitely want to take some cues from Marvel Rivals going forward. 🎮 The crossover fighting genre rewards momentum, and PlayStation has the history, the characters, and the stages to make a second attempt feel special. If Sony ever returns to the idea, the smartest move would be to build a generous launch package and then keep the content flowing on a predictable, free schedule. That combination could turn PlayStation All-Stars 2 from a nostalgic dream into a genuine fighting-game contender.