For many Marvel’s Avengers fans, War for Wakanda has served as a beacon of hope for the game. While there have been plenty of ups and downs since launch, Black Panther’s big expansion could be just the thing the game needs to win back lapsed players and convince those that are still on the fence. With many hoping that this Marvel’s Avengers DLC will be what The Taken King was to Destiny, there are plenty of eyes on the game’s big August 17 update.

Fortunately, Crystal Dynamics has provided more insight into what War for Wakanda is adding to Marvel’s Avengers, and the expansion seems to be bringing a lot of player-requested features to the table. T’Challa’s moveset seems incredibly deep, allowing for a ton of built variety, while the expansion’s missions finally introduce some new objective types to the mix. Most importantly, the War for Wakanda is bringing some new enemies to the mix, with the Klaue faction providing a much-needed change from the usual swarms of AIM bots.

RELATED: Marvel's Avengers - All Current and Upcoming Event Dates and Details

Black Panther’s Moveset And Skills

black panther gameplay

Ever since Black Panther was revealed for Marvel’s Avengers, fans have been waiting to know how the character will play. Fortunately, there are now some answers, and his kit seems to be a lot more varied than one might expect. While T’Challa has and always will be a melee fighter, the Marvel’s Avengers version of Black Panther is a strong ranged combatant as well. T’Challa’s ranged attack sees him throwing Vibranium Daggers at his foes, with the stylish weapon able to be upgraded to deal extra damage or be thrown faster.

Another interesting ability is tied to T’Challa’s movement. Overall, the King of Wakanda’s traversal is similar to that of Captain America’s, as it sees him double jumping and running on walls. However, he can also cling onto the same walls that he runs on. This allows him to spring off them, attacking enemies from above like he does in the comics and the MCU's Black Panther movie. He can also throw his daggers while attached to a wall, letting players make great use of any nice vantage points that they find in the Wakandan Jungle.

Another interesting skill sees T’Challa being given the ability to Pounce. They can then press the light attack button repeatedly to cut into their foes with T’Challa’s claws, making for a brutal and memorable attack. A neat thing about this ability is that it also works on larger foes. If players unlock T’Challa’s Cat Grab ability, they will be able to climb on top of large enemies like Exos. With his fellow hero Hulk unable to use their grab attack on these bigger threats, seeing T’Challa get this extra bit of functionality is exciting.

As expected, Black Panther's intrinsic energy is charged up by taking and blocking damage, with the kinetic energy able to be redistributed in his attacks. Several combos and abilities will make use of this kinetic boost. As for his most prominent abilities, T’Challa’s Support Heroic is Kimoyo Beads. Upgrades for the beads allow them to heal, destroy incoming projectiles, and be detonated once stuck to enemies. His Assault Heroic is King’s Mercy, and it sees him equipped with a spear. This spear can pin up to three enemies just like Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. It can be given a vortex upgrade or a kinetic explosive upgrade that removes the pin effect, with three rapid-fire spears also possible.

black panther gameplay

Finally, there is T’Challa’s Ultimate Heroic, which is called Bast’s Chosen. This Black Panther ability sees him summoning the panther goddess herself, and she can be seen flying at enemies in the surrounding area. All his attacks will then be charged with intrinsic energy without needing any building, and he will deal 10% more damage while taking 20% less. Large enemy attacks will be blockable and parryable while it is active, and a duration boost is possible. A particularly interesting upgrades is Adored Ones, which spawns two spectral Wakandan Warriors to join in the fught. King of Necropolis serves as both a team and self-revive, while Realm Shift sees Bast teleporting T’Challa to enemies. All of these enemies sound different from what is currently in the game, and they should be fun to experiment with.

RELATED: Marvel's Avengers - How To Watch The Black Panther Combat and Gameplay Reveal Stream

War For Wakanda’s Region, Objectives, and Enemy Types

Like the Future Imperfect DLC, War for Wakanda opens with a singleplayer mission that introduces players to the new region and T’Challa’s moveset. While there is a lot to love about Black Panther’s abilities, his home seems to be well-realized as well. Players can interact with certain parts of the environment to hear some lore about them, while T’Challa will comment on his surroundings as players move from objective to objective. Extra effort has been put into making the jungle feel unique, with resource crates, chests, and elevators all getting some fitting makeovers. A new hub location will also be offered, giving players a less dangerous area to explore.

Alongside the nation of Wakanda being given a bit of extra love, players will find some new objectives to complete. Corrupt Vibranium patches will crop up in Warzones, for instance, with players able to destroy them to get some extra gear and help clean up the jungle. More complex puzzles will feature, too, with T’Challa able to decipher Black Panther murals to open special shortcuts. Even old objectives like Defend are expanded upon, with players having a choice to make in certain scenarios. For example, turrets can be activated to help with defending one of the three spots, or an EMP can be used to stun all enemies and remove their shields. This gives players some variety in the section and a meaningful choice to make in their approach to it, with proper waves also giving time to plan.

black panther gameplay

While more mission variety is one of the most requested changes for the game, another thing that made it repetitive was a lack of enemy variety. Players have been fighting against AIM and the Watchdogs since launch, with many desperate for some new regular enemies. Fortunately, the Klaue Company provides that, with several new enemy types coming to the mix. New gear will also help with fighting them, as players can equip Sonic or Vibranium items to make their battles with certain Klaue foes a lot easier.

The Klaue Company Bruiser wields a large, hammer-like weapon. They can also go into an Overcharged state that is only able to be removed with Sonic damage, making proper gear important. Alongside reduced damage, an Overcharged foe will have some more attacks at their disposal. The Klaue Company Strategist is a ranged enemy with drones, with the small devices buffing surrounding enemies and weakening heroes. While they have a Sonic Aura ability that sees them deflecting ranged and melee attacks, those with Vibranium gear can ignore these shields. The Klaue Company Marksman teleports and throws mines in between rail gun shots, while the Klaue Company Heavy wields a huge machine gun. The Crawler spiders swarm Marvel’s Avengers players in huge groups, making them a unique adversary.

Not only is Marvel’s Avengers addressing mission and enemy variety inside War for Wakanda, but new bosses are coming too. While a big fight with Klaue will likely cap off the story, players can also expect an encounter with Crossbones. The mercenary has his own attacks and a special design, something that could lead to him becoming the main threat in a Villain Sector. With other promising content on the way after launch, like a major UI rework, another Omega Level Threat, and the debut of Spider-Man, Marvel’s Avengers’ future is looking brighter than it has in a long time.

Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

MORE: Lady Hellbender Could Be the Key to a Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel's Avengers Crossover