Marvel Rivals may be riding high right now, but many fans remember the dark times when Marvel just couldn’t seem to make a splash in the gaming world.
One massive flop for the IP was Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers. While that game may have taught the industry a lesson about adapting Marvel IP, it looks like someone else will take a try at a game based on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Avengers Game Incoming?
According to insider Daniel Richtman (via @cosmic_marvel), a new Avengers game is said to be in the works. What’s more, it won’t be connected to Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game, which launched in 2020 but could only sustain itself until 2023.
No further details have been shared about the upcoming game, but the developers may already know what went wrong with the first Avengers game and will learn from the success of Marvel Rivals.
If this game is in the works, then Marvel fans have much to look forward to in the next few years. There’s also the incoming Wolverine game from Spider-Man devs Insomniac Games.
Not That Bad
Though Marvel’s Avengers may have been a huge bomb for Square Enix, the AAA game still had some great things going for it. Sure, the graphical quality was AAA-level, but many people also liked the gameplay for each hero and the single-player campaign.
This game also introduced the character of Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan to a wider audience sooner than Disney+ did. While Iman Vellani plays a fine Kamala, this game’s version was closer to the comic Ms. Marvel, complete with awkward humor and ‘Embiggen’ stretchy powers.
The game ultimately failed regarding the overall level design, with some talking about the repetitive quality of the missions. I also marked the start of the decline of huge live-service games—one that ended big with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League a few years later.
What would be a Successful Avengers Game?
The Avengers game could focus more on a solid, story-based, single-player campaign because Marvel Rivals essentially scratched the itch for several playable heroes.
Crystal Dynamics’ Guardians of the Galaxy title got nothing but good reviews, but the sour launch of Avengers resulted in the underperformance of GOTG. On the upside, more people have been picking it up since its launch, and it’s considered one of the best Marvel games a studio had to offer.
Some fans have also pointed out that the success of Marvel Rivals may be attributed to its more stylized look. Looking back, Avengers may have tried too hard to look realistic, making the game seem bland.
Rivals’ comic feel made the game more colorful, and it may have made it easier for the developers to design cosmetics around the characters—similar to Overwatch's simplified look.
Although an Avengers game has not been officially announced, Marvel Rivals is currently available for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC.