Doctor Doom is getting his own MARVEL Cosmic Invasion expansion.
Dotemu and Tribute Games have unveiled The Siege of Castle Doom, the brawler's second paid add-on. Its first image comes with three promises: a brand-new mode, two playable characters and Latveria's ruler at the heart of the trouble.
The mode matters more than the famous face on the poster. Cosmic Invasion has a terrific tag system and an unusually varied cast, but its campaign lasts roughly three hours and Arcade sends players back through the same stages. PC Gamer called for exactly the kind of remix a survival mode or new challenge could provide. Eight months later, this DLC may finally fill that gap.
The Siege of Castle Doom release window and platforms
The Siege of Castle Doom is due in fall 2026 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Dotemu has not announced a specific date, price or preorder yet.
It is described as premium DLC, which means it will be sold separately and require the base game. Cosmic Invasion has a regular price of $29.99/€29.99. The first character pack launched at $3.99/€3.99. That is useful context, not a forecast: Castle Doom also contains an entire mode and may be priced differently.
Doctor Doom leads the new mode, but playable Doom is not confirmed
Dotemu says Doctor Doom will be central to the new mode. It has not said players can control him, nor whether he is its boss, an ally or part of a villains-focused rule set. The cover art places him inside Castle Doom with green energy in his hands, while the expansion's name points directly to a siege in Latveria.
The two incoming fighters remain secret as well. They will take the roster from 15 launch characters to 19. Cyclops and The Thing filled the first two DLC slots in May, and Castle Doom supplies another pair. That is a 27% increase over the original cast, but there are no names, abilities or gameplay clips for the final two yet.
The rules of the mode are just as closely guarded. A wave-based survival option would answer one of the community's biggest requests, but it is still only a request. The one official hint says the challenges are designed for Super Heroes ‘and Villains’, language that invites speculation without turning Doom into a confirmed fighter.
What MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is and how Cosmic Swap works
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is a side-scrolling brawler in the mould of a 1990s arcade cabinet. Players cross New York, Wakanda and the Negative Zone, clear out Annihilus' troops and meet a boss at the end. Its 16-stage campaign supports solo play and four-player local or online co-op, with friends free to drop in and out. Our guide to the best PS5 co-op games for couples has more same-sofa options.
Cosmic Swap is the feature that gives those familiar fights their identity. Every player selects two heroes and can tag between them instantly, extending a combo, moving an injured character out of danger or changing tools for a different enemy. Iron Man owns the air, Wolverine leaps across the screen and Rocket covers it in explosives.
The launch roster includes Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, Iron Man, Venom, Nova, She-Hulk, Rocket Raccoon, Black Panther, Silver Surfer, Phoenix, Phyla-Vell, Beta Ray Bill and Cosmic Ghost Rider. Cyclops and The Thing have since brought the total to 17, before Doom's siege begins.
The first DLC sets a baseline, but Castle Doom must do more
Cyclops and The Thing arrived on May 18 for $3.99/€3.99. The X-Men leader controls diagonals with his optic blasts, while Ben Grimm is a surprisingly mobile tank built around grabbing and throwing enemies. The official trailer shows how differently they handle before anyone pays to expand the roster.
Dotemu announced in May that more than 1.5 million people had played MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and 88% of its Steam reviews were positive at the time.
Existing owners should wait for the mode rules and price before deciding. New players will find a short, welcoming arcade brawler that is at its best with company; anyone after a lavish single-player Marvel game can instead check Marvel's Wolverine's release date, story and characters. What would the new mode need to make you return to MARVEL Cosmic Invasion?
The conversation starts here
Sign in with a supporter account to comment. Sign in
Nobody has commented yet. Want to go first?