Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is the latest entry in the iconic football action series. Based on Yoichi Takahashi’s legendary manga, this installment is set in the World Youth Arc, where players join Tsubasa Ozora and the Japanese youth team as they aim for the World Youth Championship.

Ahead of its August launch, we got to go hands-on with Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, playing nearly 3 hours of the game across its free play and story modes. While it may sound like a lot of time, the game is surprisingly deep, especially if you’re a first-time player. We didn’t get to go too deep into the game, but what we played in the short amount of time left us wanting more.

Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters Hands-on Preview

For the uninitiated, Captain Tsubasa is a Japanese manga and anime series about soccer that follows Tsubasa Oozora as he rises to become a top player. The games, then, are arcade-based football fun, relying on exaggerated effects and moves that make the sport a spectacle.

Our preview of Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters started by familiarizing ourselves with the controls through free practice. For those who have played the first game, the controls will be very familiar, using mostly the same buttons for passes, shots, tackles, and dribbles. While these can be tapped for quick actions, pressing and holding the pass/shoot buttons results in a stronger action and is necessary for goals.

Visually, Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is still a looker, faithfully recreating the look, feel, and ridiculousness of the anime, with moves like the drive shot and others translated into the game. It’s great seeing these in action, and the way the game communicates everything to the player is quite nice.

Part of the preview was a quick look at customization, and in Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, players can edit both their team and their player. Team edit allows changes to formation and lineup, giving players deeper control over how their playstyles develop.

Similarly, in player edit, customizing the look will be a great way to offer personalization such as body, face, hair, eyes, and more, offering a degree of creativity. It’s not as detailed as some other character creators from other Bandai Namco titles like Code Vein, but it is serviceable for an anime title.

Since we are dealing with the World Youth Arc, players can expect to see national teams from over 20 countries in Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, represented by over 110 playable characters. Apart from Japan, countries such as the USA, Brazil, France, Cameroon, Germany, and others are included in the game. Even better, we have some Southeast Asian representation in Thailand and Indonesia.

You’ll also see some sort of actual in-game moves that are culturally inspired, such as Muay Thai tackles and take-downs. These countries each have their own special moves and techniques, and while we didn’t get to play them all, from the looks of it, each will have its own set of pros and cons that will speak to certain playstyles.

One theme that Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters offers players is evolution, and it rings true in its gameplay systems. Players will now go into battles with the goalkeepers, and if you are on the receiving end of a shot towards your goal, you can take a guess via a directional input where the shot is aimed at. If you guess correctly, the goalkeeper’s HP loss is minor. The further the direction of your guess, the bigger the depleted HP, and the better the chance of the opponent scoring.

One of the more advanced techniques in Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is the chain system, in which linked actions increase a player’s chain level. The higher the chain level, the faster you can charge shots for higher power. Beware, as losing the ball will not only transfer possession but also the chain level, providing high-stakes action.

Additionally, there are super moves, with each player possessing a signature move, whether offensive, defensive, or tactical. A super move may be a powerful shot, an unstoppable dribble or pass, and even a strong tackle or block. These moves add flair to the game, turning it into an absolute spectacle while remaining exciting and faithful to the source material.

And while we didn’t get to experience it, there are even Miracle Moves that activate with a certain probability and condition. Defensively, goalkeepers can even block a shot even with low HP, and offensively, a Miracle Team move can be pulled off, which basically ensures a goal.

Each team has a different Miracle Team move: Japan will have a Full Power Skydive that activates after using several super moves, while Brazil will have The Twin Walls, which activates when the home team’s goalkeeper makes a perfect save while the combined score is 3 or more.

Other Miracle Team moves are Germany’s Young Emperor Flame Pact, which activates when Schneider’s S-shot is triggered after he has scored at least one goal, and France’s Field of Dreams, triggered when Pierre/Napoleon has used a super move, resulting in unlimited super move gauge for a period of time.

Lastly, our Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters playthrough ended with a look at the Story mode, taking players through several battles against foes from different countries. The story mode will have a main episode, which is basically the critical path, but there are also side and link scenarios that offer other adjacent stories and interactions with various teams and characters. As you progress, you can unlock hidden abilities, strengthening the team further.

One of the story matches was against Thailand, and it’s quite amazing to see actual Muay Thai techniques being used on the pitch with no fouls being called. As with anime titles that recount events from story arcs, you can expect some sort of retelling through cutscenes, along with some events being pre-determined. This can greatly affect the pacing of a match because you’ll periodically stop to watch (or skip) cutscenes.

Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is shaping up to be a step up from its predecessor, with new features that make gameplay more exciting and engaging. While we only got to play a small slice, the evolution of certain systems has led to deeper gameplay that rewards strategy and skillful play.

Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters will release on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S on 27 August 2026, followed by a Steam release on 28 August 2026.