SinceMarvel’s Avengerslaunched back in August 2020, it’s fair to say that Crystal Dynamics has had a busy time of things. Instead of being able to slow down and take stock ahead of its nextTomb Raiderinstallment, the studio has spent a sizable amount of time working on its polarizing comic book adaptation. In an attempt to rectify some of the issues that fans have had with the game,adding free-DLC heroesto its roster alongside brand-new content has been by far the biggest part of the process.
Thanks to several high-profile leaks, fans have had a solid idea of what content Crystal Dynamics has been working on forMarvel’s Avengers‘future. Most of what has seemingly been in the pipeline for a while now has had players eagerly speculating for years. However, due to Square Enix’s decision to sell a chunk of its western studios and IPs to the Embracer Group, everything has now been thrown up in the air. Right now, it’s easy to see the game’s future going down one of several routes depending on how the likes of Disney react to the news.
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The Avengers Leaks
What’s interesting about Crystal Dynamics’plans forMarvel’s Avengers’ post-launch support, is the fact that players have had a decent idea of what to expect since before the game even hit store shelves. Back during the summer of 2020, an extensive list of potential DLC heroes was posted onto the internet following some clever beta-build data-mining. Since then, the likes of Black Panther and Kate Bishop’s incarnation of Hawkeye have both graduated from that list into the full game.
Even though plenty of heroes have also failed to materialize, there’s still reason to believe that all of them were at one time planned for the game. It’s clear from the way that Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics, and Marvel, have all spoken about the game that the project wasn’t short of ambition. What’s also readily apparent is the fact that the situation surroundingMarvel’s Avengershas changedsince its inception. Without even factoring in the studio’s new owners, it’s easy to imagine that the original DLC plan had already been significantly scaled back in light of the game’s commercial reception.
There’s also been a noticeable shift in the type ofMarvel’s Avengersleaks that have done the rounds online in recent times. Rumoredcharacters like Doctor Strange, who were at one time seemingly shoe-ins to appear, have been replaced by other heroes. Jane Foster’s incarnation of Thor for example, who was confirmed to be the next free-DLC addition before the studio’s acquisition, wasn’t a part of the initial leaked roadmap. It’s worth mentioning here that, no matter how reliable a leak appears, fans should always take every rumor with a grain of salt until there’s official confirmation.
In addition to being scaled back from the grand original plan, it looks as though Crystal Dynamics will also focus on adding heroes that already have counterparts in-game. If future DLC expansions are given the green-light to happen, fans should look out for rumoredcharacters like She-Hulk, The Winter Soldier, and War Machine. While each hero has their own unique abilities and charm, a lot of their respective move-sets have already been implemented via the likes of Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man. It’s likely far easier for the studio to implement these in the game’s current state rather than the completely unique Scarlet Witch, for example.
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Disney’s Green-Light
Thanks to Square Enix’s unexpectedagreement with the Embracer Group, the future of the publisher’s licensing deal with Disney is now in doubt. While the new owner of Crystal Dynamics has expressed its desire for its acquisitions to continue working on Marvel-themed games and content, there’s no guarantee that the comic book publisher will agree. Even though Microsoft has allowed the likes of Bethesda to similarly honor pre-existing contracts after being acquired, it’s unclear whether this was a good-will gesture or simply a move to avoid messy legal ramifications.
If an agreement can be reached between Square Enix, Disney,and the Embracer Groupthough, there’s a decent chance that Crystal Dynamics will be allowed to continue working onMarvel’s Avengers. There’s a sense after all, thanks to the leaks, that the studio has committed itself to supporting its live-service title for some time to come. Even in the face of lackluster sales and mixed critical reception, content hasn’t completely dried up after nearly two years. That doesn’t necessarily mean fans should prepare themselves for the studio’s original post-launch support plans, though.
It’s far more likely that heroes that have been worked on already will be added into the mix sporadically down the line, while other big-names will be shelved to save money and resources. Characters like She Hulk for example, who have been teased by insiders for months, are more likely to still see the light of day compared to leaked heroes like Vision and Quake. WithMarvel’s live-action MCUschedule packed with releases, there’s an outside chance under this scenario that the likes of Captain Marvel could be added when a film likeThe Marvelsis released.
End of an Era
Based onMarvel’s Avengers’ polarizing life, there’s also a chance that Crystal Dynamics’ vision for its future could be dramatically cut short. With the studio having already announced that Jane Foster will debut seemingly nearThor :Love and Thunder’s theatrical release, it’s hard to envision any party involved canceling that expansion. However, it wouldn’t be particularly shocking if everything after that point is shelved. Considering how Square Enix is reported to havelost over $200 million on all of its Marvel projectscombined, it’s possible that the Embracer Group will be keen for Crystal Dynamics to move on.
Based on Crystal Dynamics' inconsistent content roadmap and release schedule since launch, it stands to reason that the leaked characters will still require a sizable amount of time and monetary investment before they’re finished. With the studio’scollaboration with Microsoft on its newestPerfect Darktitle still in the works, alongside the next teasedTomb Raiderinstallments, there’s potentially more lucrative avenues for it to explore. In this scenario, that could relegate the superhero game’s big plans solely to the imaginations of its fan-base.
Marvel’s Avengersis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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