Konami’s six‑player X‑Men arcade is back — now with rollback netcode and online co‑op

Why it matters: a coin‑op from 1992 is being rebuilt for the internet era – not plastered into a museum piece

The real headline here isn’t that a retro bundle exists – it’s that Konami’s six‑player X‑Men arcade port is being treated like a live‑service era game: rollback netcode, six‑player online co‑op, rewind and save states. Limited Run Games’ MARVEL MaXimum Collection is packaging that update alongside other Konami/Marvel classics, and while this looks like another nostalgia cash‑in, the technical choices matter. Rollback for chaotic six‑player brawling is hard to do well. If it actually works, this isn’t just a reissue – it’s the closest thing to giving an old arcade original modern multiplayer legs.

Key takeaways

• X‑Men: The Arcade Game (1992) will be included in MARVEL MaXimum Collection with six‑player online and rollback netcode — a rare modern upgrade for an arcade beat‑’em‑up.
• The compilation totals 13 games (only six confirmed so far), adds quality‑of‑life features — save states, rewind, CRT/scanline filters — plus a new Chris Huelsbeck soundtrack.
• Platforms confirmed: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC/Steam; no release date or pricing yet, and Limited Run is likely to roll out pre‑orders and collector editions.
• Uncomfortable truth: this is both a service to fans cut off from a delisted classic and a well‑timed nostalgia product that can be monetized heavily through limited physical runs.

What actually changed — and why it’s more than a pretty UI

For decades X‑Men: The Arcade Game has been the poster child for “you missed it if you weren’t there.” After years of delisting and sporadic digital reprints, Limited Run is positioning the Konami coin‑op as the marquee title of a 13‑game Marvel collection. But the announced additions are what’s interesting: six‑player online — matching the original cabinet’s capacity — plus rollback netcode, save‑anywhere states and rewind. Those are not cosmetic tweaks. Rollback reduces input latency for remote players, which is crucial during the kind of frantic, multi‑character melees X‑Men throws at you. Rewind and save states make the title accessible to modern players who want bite‑sized sessions or to undo a particularly brutal input error.

Limited Run is no stranger to limited editions and collector bait, but they’re also shipping tangible quality‑of‑life upgrades that developers often promise and fail to deliver. If the rollback implementation is robust for six simultaneous players, that’s a genuine technical win — and a rare one for retro arcade reissues.

The uncomfortable observation the PR team hoped you’d skip

This is unmistakably a nostalgia product aimed at a heated collector market. Limited Run’s physical runs and sealed collector boxes are lucrative, and bundling a delisted cult favorite guarantees attention (and sales). But modernization is a veneer unless the multiplayer actually works across platforms and matches feel fair. The announcement glossed over specifics developers and players care about: is the rollback peer‑to‑peer or server‑hosted? Is online play cross‑platform? Do save states affect online sessions? Those details determine whether this is a meaningful restoration or a polished cash‑grab.

Historical anchor — why this matters to retro fans

Konami’s X‑Men arcade sits beside other notorious 90s Marvel tie‑ins — Maximum Carnage, Separation Anxiety and Silver Surfer — titles that found second lives through compilation packs and emulators. This is the first physical release of the arcade X‑Men in decades, and Limited Run has paired it with a newly commissioned soundtrack from Chris Huelsbeck and museum features (manuals, box art, cheat menus). If the company follows its usual pattern, expect multiple physical editions: standard, steelbook, and a collector run with physical extras.

The question I’d ask Limited Run (and the PR answer we need)

“How is rollback implemented for six players, and will online play be cross‑platform with dedicated servers?” The short version: if they’re using peer‑to‑peer rollback without strong desync handling, the multiplayer promise could break under real conditions. If they’re investing in dedicated infrastructure or a tested rollback netcode layer, that’s notable and could set a new bar for retro reissues.

What to watch next

• Official release date and price — Limited Run tends to announce pre‑orders and collector tiers quickly after a reveal.
• The full 13‑game roster — only six titles have been named so far.
• Technical details on netcode: peer‑to‑peer vs. dedicated servers, cross‑play, and whether rollback applies to all titles or just the X‑Men arcade port.
• Hands‑on previews showing six‑player online gameplay — that’ll be the real test.

TL;DR

Limited Run’s MARVEL MaXimum Collection resurrects Konami’s six‑player X‑Men arcade with rollback netcode, rewind and save states — a smart set of upgrades if they actually function. This is both a service to fans of a delisted classic and a high‑margin nostalgia product. Watch for the netcode details and release/pre‑order timing; those will tell you whether this is a substantive restoration or just a polished retro cash‑in.