Gameplay footage for Marvel's Avengers, developed by Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, has been leaked following its debut during a San Diego Comic Convention panel. The shakey-cam footage shows gameplay from Avengers characters including Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Black Widow. There's also a brief scene teasing Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. Crystal Dynamics had previously said that this footage would be made available to the public following Gamescom 2019.

The bootleg footage, which was taken by an SDCC attendee in the audience without permission, will be the first time that gameplay from Marvel's Avengers will have been seen publically. Square Enix received criticism following the reveal of Marvel's Avengers during E3 2019, as the reveal focused on in-engine cinematic footage. The leaked footage comes from the same demo, showing that the E3 2019 trailer simply cut out all of the gameply from an extended sequence.

Based on the leaked footage, player's will start by playing Thor, with unique action tied to his lightning powers and wielding the hammer Mjolnir. The sequence then shifts to a flying Iron Man, who battles a group of flying mercenaries onto Golden Gate bridge.  Hulk is next, with gameplay involving jumping across the crumbling bridge and several Quick Time Events. Captain America's sequence features melee combat and shield throwing. Then Black Widow's gameplay is almost entirely QTEs based on the short clip that's available.

Each hero, as Square Enix has promised, has their own unique playstyle that ties into their strengths and powers. While the gameplay that was shown isn't particularly unique compared to modern action games, it does offer a first glimpse into the basics of Marvel's Avengers.

With gameplay footage of Marvel's Avengers now readily available, it begs the question as to why Square Enix didn't share this publically at E3. It offers a much more robust and interesting look at a game that many Marvel fans were excited about. The gameplay not only offers a look at all of the Avengers in action, but it also teases Ms. Marvel and the villain Taskmaster. The buzz coming out of E3 2109 could have been much more positive.

The logical answer is that Square Enix is trying to make the most of what was likely a very expensive demo to create this far ahead of launch. Instead of showing the demo at E3 2019 and then having to figure out new content to show at SDCC and Gamescom, Square Enix can split the demo up across three or more different conventions.

Expect more information on Marvel's Avengers, including new heroes and villains that will appear in the game, in the months to come.

Marvel's Avengers releases May 15, 2020 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Reddit (Gameplay Part 2)