One of the biggest surprises at The Game Awards 2018 was when Nintendo announced Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 - The Black Order as a Switch exclusive. We haven't heard much about the game since then, but now we have more details, including its release date and some more info on the villains players will encounter throughout the experience.

As confirmed today by Nintendo, the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 release date is July 19. In the game, players will take control of various Marvel characters, ranging from the Avengers to the X-Men, as they battle against not just Thanos and his titular Black Order, but villains like Ultron and Ronan the Accuser as well. Some Spider-Man villains will also be in the game, with Sandman being just one example.

It looks like some characters that are featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be given more attention in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 than they have in past games, including the Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel. Characters who have yet to join the MCU will still be available, though, like the aforementioned X-Men and Venom.

In the meantime, some fans may be wondering when we will get another look at Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 ahead of its July 19 launch. It's likely that the game will be featured during Nintendo's E3 2019 presentation in June, especially since it appears to be one of the biggest Switch exclusives for the summer. It's also possible that the game will be showcased prior to Nintendo's E3 presentation, perhaps in a Nintendo Direct.

A Nintendo Direct for April has been rumored for the past couple of weeks, as many expected Nintendo to give former president Reggie Fils-Aime a farewell Direct of some kind. Of course, that hasn't come to pass, and now that Reggie has officially retired, it seems that there wasn't much to those rumors.

Regardless, fans of the first two Ultimate Alliance games may not need to see more of Ultimate Alliance 3 to be sold on it. From what we've seen of the game, it looks to be faithful to the original titles, which is enough to make it one of the most exciting Switch exclusives of 2019 for some fans.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 - The Black Order release on July 19, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.