Marvel’s Avengers fans have been waiting patiently for news on the game and what the future holds, and today’s War Table finally delivered. Players now know how Hawkeye will fight inside Marvel’s Avengers, with the character’s official release date being revealed as well.
Marvel’s Avengers players will be seeing two versions of the hero Hawkeye in his DLC operation, as Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that the story will be taking inspiration from the Old Man Hawkeye run of comics. With an older version of Clint being one of the only surviving Avengers in an apocalyptic universe ruined by the Kree, players will see a younger Clint and his protege Kate Bishop working to stop this future from ever taking place – with a secondary objective of finding and saving Nick Fury. The expansion arrives on March 18.
Inside the DLC, players will be accompanied by Clint’s pet dog Lucky, with the operation’s main villain being Maestro — a twisted version of The Hulk changed by the Kree apocalypse. Crystal Dynamics also showed off Clint’s moveset, with Hawkeye’s intrinsic ability allowing him to sidestep attacks and parry with an arrow. A Dead Eye skill allows Clint to deal increased damage to one target, while the sword he once used as Ronin will function as the character's melee attack. Ten different arrow types allow Hawkeye’s ranged gameplay to stand out as well.
One thing that makes Clint Barton different from Kate Bishop in terms of gameplay is his movement, as he gets around using grapple arrows as opposed to teleportation. Boomerang arrows bounce between enemies like Captain America’s shield, while implosion arrows bring enemies together. Tripwire shots function as crowd control, while Rocket arrows function as upgrades to Clint’s parry. Pulsar arrows build up damage over time, and Nightstorm arrows work as a barrage of arrows that rain down on enemies.
Hawkeye’s final abilities include recovery arrows, which allow him to heal himself and teammates. Hawkeye’s ultimate ability is called the Hunter’s Arrow, which works as a drone-like shot that swarms the area and deals damage to every enemy in sight. Upgrades include focused damage, explosive damage, and two arrow shots, with the Ultimate looking like one of the most effective abilities available in the game thus far. Hawkeye will have several skins available to unlock too, including a modern and classic costume, a futuristic design, and an outfit based on Clint's alter ego Ronin.
With a unique setting, a fresh character, and an interesting story, Hawkeye’s DLC should be fun to play regardless of whether it fixes all the game’s problems. With the next gen versions of Marvel’s Avengers confirmed to be coming on March 18 as well, players have even more of a reason to give the original Hawkeye a try.
Marvel's Avengers is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions coming March 18.