Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix’s action brawler RPGMarvel’s Avengersseemed like it had all the right ingredients for success. Based on the massively popular Marvel comic book characters, whose fanbase has astronomically increased since theMCUbegan to churn out film after film,Marvel’s Avengersshould have been a hit. With a roster of fan-favorite heroes, elements of the comic book mythology, and an array of superpowers and range of abilities at the players' disposal, the game looked like it was shaping up to be an interesting new addition to the expansive Marvel universe before it was released.
However,responses toMarvel’s Avengerswere mixedwhen it released in September 2020. With bugs, uninspired designs, and problematic multiplayer, the gamedid not live up to fan expectations. As a live service game with promised periodic releases of new content and additional heroes,Marvel’s Avengershad a chance to turn its fortunes around. However, apart from a handful of updates that have been well-received by fans, it doesn’t seem as if the developer is sinking as much time into the title as it should in order to make it a success. This year could have been a chance forMarvel’s Avengersto bring players back onboard, but thanks to infrequent updates and no clear plan, 2022 has turned into more of a misfire than a shot on target.
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A Disappointing Release for Marvel’s Avengers
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.Marvel’s Avengersdid largely deliver on its singleplayer campaign, which was full of witty banter between characters, unique abilities that made combat fun and visually-impressive, and an original story that borrowed just enough from the source material to make it familiar without rehashing old tropes. The newly introduced Ms. Marvel was the center of a lot of the game’s praise, with critics saying she brought a fresh perspective and youthful dynamism to the crew of heroes. Each hero felt diverse and handled differently, creating a truly distinct band of fighters with more on the way asMarvel’s Avengersrolled out its updates.
However, whereMarvel’s Avengersdid face criticismwas in the repetitiveness of its environments and its missions. The endgame and multiplayer, once players had made their way through the singleplayer section of the game, were also particularly thin and ill-constructed, with technical issues, matchmaking problems, and a lack of clear progression for gamers to contend with. In short, a lot of the potential and goodwill thatMarvel’s Avengersmanaged to generate with its better elements was squandered by its unoriginal aspects and poorly thought-out endgame.
Ultimately,Marvel’s Avengersunder-delivered. Instead of a fun, action-packed superhero adventure, it turned out to be a repetitive and unimaginative live service game. In fairness to the title, the game’s first year did present some high points. For example, the heroes added in the months afterMarvel’s Avengers' release like Kate Bishop/Hawkeye II, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, and T’Challa/Black Panther helped to provide some more distinctive combat options.Kate Bishop’s story expansionin particular was praised for its portrayal of the young hero and its compelling content. With a slew of MCU outfits for players to kit out their heroes with,Marvel’s Avengersalso had plenty of ties to the popular movie franchise to create connections for players.
Marvel’s Avengers' Year So Far
With a mixed bag of new content during its first full year, fans were expectingMarvel’s Avengersto start 2022 off with a bang. Sadly, this has not been the case. Players didn’t receive any updates about upcoming content until mid-February, whenSquare Enix released a development updateregarding the next few months. The last actual update for the game was months ago, and the next update reportedly coming sometime in March is meager at best. For a live service game whose long-term appeal rests largely on constant new content,Marvel’s Avengersisn’t really ticking the right boxes.
Marvel’s Avengersdid finish up 2021 with therelease of the much-anticipated Peter Parker/Spiderman, taking the total number of playable heroes up to ten. Along with some bug fixes and tweaks to the base game, the last round of updates has mostly focused on cosmetic additions, much to fan disappointment. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix had previously promised that a new roadmap for this year would come out at the start of 2022, but so far this is yet to materialize. The last all-platform hero was Black Panther back in August, along with the most recent story updates (not including the Raid), and players are impatient for more.
The February development update stated that the developers “aren’t yet ready to reveal the next full roadmap,” with no date for fans to expect it. It may seem like the superhero title might have a shorter shelf-life than was originally intended, especially with asevere drop-off inMarvel’s Avengersplayersafter the game’s first month. Despite the developer insisting that it was working on “near- and medium-term” changes to the base game,Marvel’s Avengers' future still remains uncertain.
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How Marvel’s Avengers Could Still Turn Things Around
It’s clear thatMarvel’s Avengershas a lot of work to do. If it wants to increase its playerbase, it needs to provide better and more consistent content, as well as regular updates regarding what players can come to expect to make sure they stick around. As it stands, Square Enix is leaving players in the dark for far too long, and the modest amount of fans that have stuck it out with the game aren’t really being rewarded for it. The developer has reiterated that it’s still planning on supportingMarvel’s Avengers, which will be welcome news for some, but if it does not deliver the roadmap in early 2022 as was promised, it risks alienating more players.
With some unsubstantiated rumors hinting that characters like Winter Soldier, Captain Marvel, andShe-Hulk are set to joinMarvel’s Avengers,things could be looking up for the game. By adding a character like She-Hulk,Marvel’s Avengerscould tie-in perfectly with non-game Marvel-related content, like the upcoming TV series starring Tatiana Maslany as the green-hued hero. While some people may feel a little oversaturated with superhero content, connecting the game to more recent Marvel releases can help it to maintain its own relevancy and cash in on fan excitement around other avenues of the expansive franchise.
Marvel’s Avengersis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
