Saying that Marvel’s Avengers is a struggling game is an understatement, as the project has been in recovery mode ever since it made its debut last year. While there have been some positive moments like the Hawkeye DLCs and a smooth next-gen launch for the game, moments like Outriders surpassing Marvel’s Avengers’ peak player count already serve as constant reminders of the game’s failures. Unfortunately, while there is reason to be optimistic about the future, there is a chance that things get worse.
Marvel’s Avengers may have a clear plan in place for the rest of 2021, but it is going to need to prepare some truly impactful content for next year as well. Though keeping interest in the game is a challenge, as is fixing its current flaws, Marvel’s Avengers has had the advantage of not having any real competition in the area of co-op superhero games. 2022 is going to change that, however, and it could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the game if changes are not made.
The Current Struggles Of Marvel’s Avengers
While Marvel’s Avengers is better than some say, as noticeable strides toward a better game have already been made, it is still deeply flawed. Though missions may run better and not present the same bugs, glitches, and performance issues that they used to, they are still extremely repetitive. Movement for heroes like Hawkeye and Black Widow is still a pain, while no information has been shared on the game’s cosmetic rework. Further, a lack of communication has resulted in frustration over XP changes and other decisions.
Marvel’s Avengers’ biggest problem remains its lack of villains. Players have been fighting against AIM bots and soldiers since the game launched, with no other factions present to do battle with. No aliens, Hydra members, Ultron drones, or Doom bots have appeared, yet adding one of these groups would instantly improve the game’s quality and gameplay diversity. The same issue extends to the bosses as well, as there is a startlingly low number of battles available — with many of the current fights being against similar foes as well.
Finally, while Marvel’s Avengers has content on the way, it is not launching anytime soon. Only the Red Room event is launching in Spring, with other updates like the Cosmic Cube Villain Sector and the Wasteland patrol mode reserved for Summer. Despite being the game’s best hopes for a second chance, War for Wakanda and Black Panther are not arriving until the back half of 2021, with fans needing to wait a fair bit longer to take control of King T’Challa. The content drought continuing for even longer is worrying, at it is something that cannot be repeated come next year.
The Danger of 2022
While Marvel’s Avengers is currently juggling a lot of different problems that need to be addressed, developer Crystal Dynamics is running out of time to fix these issues. After all, 2022 will be bringing two huge competitors for Marvel’s Avengers. Both games are focused on characters that stem from rival comics company DC, and both are taking very similar approaches to the style of gameplay that is seen with the current Avengers title. Next year, both Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Gotham Knights will officially be launching, putting Marvel's Avengers in more danger than it is already in.
Both games feature four player co-op, and while they may not be taking a games-as-a-service approach, there is plenty of potential for Gotham Knights DLC and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League expansions. Not only are both games filling the void of a premier superhero game, but the projects can benefit from the hype for this year’s The Suicide Squad film and next year’s The Batman film. Further, neither should feature Marvel’s Avengers’ villain problem, as Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League lets players take on the titular group while Gotham Knights has a massive Rogues’ Gallery to play with.
There is also the obvious benefit of both games being fresh releases. While fans could stick with Marvel’s Avengers, giving the game a proper second chance, jumping over to a brand new release seems much easier. Plenty have lost faith in the Marvel title already, yet there is still plenty of goodwill toward 2022’s two DC big games – making Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League serious competition. By focusing on the same style of co-op gameplay while also sharing a target audience, Marvel's Avengers remaining fans could be pulled away, a scenario that has to be avoided in order to save the project.
What Marvel’s Avengers Needs To Do To Survive
In 2022, Marvel’s Avengers needs to get beyond its growing pains. For starters, the window between content drops needs to shorten drastically, as fans cannot be asked to wait months for new heroes to come to the game anymore. With the wait between Kate Bishop and Clint Barton already being long, and the gap between Barton and Black Panther’s DLC set to be even longer, this pattern cannot continue on. If Marvel’s Avengers is not going to leave its games-as-a-service strategy behind, it needs to fully embrace it, providing regular updates for fans.
More communication is needed, as players should not be kept in the dark for several weeks on end like they have with the ongoing cosmetic rework. The game needs to see more variety added in its level design, while new villain additions must become a priority. While building up a new faction via story DLC would be necessary, there is no reason that random Villain Sector additions could not happen more often. Crystal Dynamics could insert random villains tied to each character, such as Iron Man antagonist Living Laser, as one-off boss battles to the game. More events should be added as well.
While more playable Marvel’s Avengers characters would be nice to see, there are more pressing issues that need to be fixed. While the game seems to be on the right track to deliver a solid 2021, it needs to kick things up a notch when 2022 begins. If nothing changes and fresh content continues to come at a snail’s pace, Marvel’s Avengers will struggle more than it ever has. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Gotham Knights are shaping up to be great games that occupy the same exact space as Marvel’s Avengers, meaning that the Crystal Dynamics title needs to get ahead of its competitors before it is is too late.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.