The game was produced by Ryota Niitsuma, who had previously worked on Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, which utilizes the same simplified three-button attack system.

[3] Players must use the various attacks in their arsenal to exhaust their opponent's life gauge and defeat the entire enemy team, or have the most cumulative health when time runs out.

[3] Marvel vs. Capcom 3 also features an alternate control scheme designed for players unfamiliar to fighting games called "Simple Mode".

[9] Simple Mode allows players to perform special moves and hyper combos with single button presses at the expense of limiting a character's available moveset.

[9] Marvel vs. Capcom 3 introduces a new game mechanic known as "X-Factor", which offers increased damage, speed, and health regeneration for a short period of time.

[20] As a result, several unplayable characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, such as the Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, MegaMan Volnutt, Nemesis, and Phoenix Wright, make cameo appearances in the campaign stages and Arcade Mode endings.

[26] Unlike previous titles in the series, Capcom had no plans for an arcade release, and focused only on console versions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[24] When asked if Capcom was planning to release the game on other consoles, Niitsuma did not dismiss the possibility for a Nintendo Wii version; however, this ultimately did not come to fruition.

[27] Employees from Marvel Comics worked closely with Capcom's art design team to ensure that each character from their company was properly represented.

[16] DLC costumes for characters were later announced by Capcom and Marvel, which were released on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace on March 1, 2011.

[32] The costume pack contained new outfits for Ryu, Thor, Dante, Iron Man, Chris Redfield, and Captain America.

[33] Apparel wholesalers Mad Engine and Philcos sold T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing Marvel vs. Capcom 3 promotional artwork.

[33] Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds received positive reviews from critics, garnering aggregate scores of 85/100 and 84/100 from Metacritic for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, respectively.

According to GameSpot's Maxwell McGee, the game's simplified core combat mechanics worked harmoniously to drive the action forward.

[40] Richard George of IGN stated that the alterations to the control scheme helped to mature the franchise by removing needless complexities.

[41] Neidel Crisan of 1UP.com complimented the uniqueness of the characters' play styles, stating that he enjoyed exploring the roster and possible team combinations.

George expressed his disappointment that the development team did not supplement Marvel vs. Capcom 3's core experience with extras to add variety to the total package and extend its lifespan.

[41] GameTrailers criticized the Arcade Mode, stating that its "underwhelming PowerPoint-style" endings left much to be desired, especially in comparison to the intro, outro, and rival battle sequences seen in Street Fighter IV.

[22] Tim Turi of Game Informer stated that fans expecting to see extensive online functionality similar to Street Fighter IV should "regulate their excitement".

[39] Eurogamer's Simon Parkin pointed specifically to the absence of a spectator mode, noting that the exclusion of viewable matches also presented a serious shortcoming.

[50] The other eleven characters, all new to the franchise, are Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Nova, Rocket Raccoon, Firebrand, Frank West, Nemesis T-Type, Phoenix Wright, and Vergil.