Public relations is a thing that Capcom still hasn’t figured out. As Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite continues to rack up negative reviews and lackluster interest in the competitive scene, Capcom may want to start actually listening to their audience instead of marketing to them.

Mechanics aren’t Capcom’s issue, though it’s something they continue to put all their focus on. No one argued much against the mechanics of Street Fighter V. In fact, most of the negative reviews acknowledged that it was a fun game with some of the best fighting Street Fighter has seen in years. However, stages, characters, and skins hidden behind thinly veiled paywalls was a problem. Fans were also confused by the lack of an Arcade Mode and a completely paltry story-mode. The roster was also disappointing and confusing with inclusions like Abigail – a character no one asked for and even fewer players liked. Now that MvC: Infinite is out, history looks to be repeating itself.

Once again, MvC: Infinite is praised for its fighting – especially the efforts Capcom has taken to try and stop infinite juggling, something that has plagued fighting games for years – and criticized for everything else. The roster is mostly Marvel movie all-stars while true fans protest that not a single X-Men has filled out the roster – not even Wolverine, who has become synonymous with the franchise. Inclusions like Frank West are confounding and uninteresting as well given how small the roster is. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 featured 56 playable characters. Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite has just 30.

Interestingly, Capcom has made little to no attempt to emulate the success of fighting games like Injustice. Injustice’s focus on story and mass promotion of the comic series – which was a huge hit – helped turn it into a runaway success. What fans actually want is something to sink their teeth into and get excited for, which is the same reason why companies like Blizzard and Riot pour millions into new videos, comics, and lore to build excitement for their games. But Capcom continues to focus solely on the business side of things. Everyone understood why paywalls were put into Street Fighter V, and everyone understands why Dr. Strange was given higher billing than Cyclops or Rogue. What infuriates fans is how obviously Capcom caters to profits instead of gamers.

However, all of this could be forgiven if Capcom was delivering on a phenomenal experience. When Tekken 3 was released, it had Tekken Force and Tekken Ball – two game modes which delighted the fans for their originality. Tekken Force was a side-scrolling beat ‘em up while Tekken Ball was simply volleyball with fight moves. But the diverse roster – from tiny dinosaurs like Gon and crippled doctors like Dr. Bosconovitch – made the game come to life. Characters were also unlocked through playing the game and beating challenges, not purchasing them through in-game points. Such an original approach to fighting games is unfortunately the outlier.

Most other genres have evolved – RPGs, for example, have become far more open-world, action-oriented, and in many cases, First-Person. But Injustice was the last fighting game to try and change the mold and focus on story and depth more than mechanics. If Capcom actually wants to keep fighting games alive – and they are surely struggling right now – they need to listen to the audiences and try to be innovative. Mechanics don’t count for much when the community is ignored and forced to pay for content.