Marvel’s Avengers fans are finally having many of their concerns addressed, with the game slowly working itself into a better position. The detailed content roadmap was a major step in the right direction, giving players an idea of what they can expect from the game in the coming months. The recent hiring of Brian Waggoner, a veteran developer that once worked on Marvel Heroes, is a great sign for the game’s future. The next-gen version has also been met with praise due to performance improvements, adding to the list of positives. However, despite all the positive changes, it is impossible to not notice that it is taking a long time for the game to improve.
There is no better example of this slow recovery than the Spider-Man DLC for Marvel’s Avengers. Announced prior to the game’s launch and confirmed to be further off than anything on the game’s current roadmap, players have spent a lot of time waiting to control the webslinger. With Crystal Dynamics currently designing the hero, there will seemingly be a lot more waiting to do, with Spider-Man fans still not having access to the hero. With such a long wait for the character thus far, and a greater wait ahead, it is important that the hero impresses when he arrives.
Spider-Man’s Announcement
Spider-Man was first announced for Marvel’s Avengers back in August of 2020. A month before the game would finally launch, the webslinger was leaked via a retailer’s accidental posting, with Crystal Dynamics quickly confirming his existence afterwards. While the announcement was exciting, it was also a double-edged sword, as fans were outraged about the hero being a PlayStation exclusive character. During the lead-up to release and the first few months that followed, Marvel’s Avengers players debated the existence of this exclusive DLC. While there was plenty of heated discussion at the time, it has died down, mainly due to how long ago the announcement happened.
It has been over 8 months since Spider-Man was revealed for Marvel’s Avengers, and there is still no concrete information on the character’s release. While there will surely be more conversations about exclusivity when the hero arrives, many fans have likely forgotten about the character. After all, with Marvel’s Avengers having such a rough launch and needing so much work to get onto the right path, the focus turned to highlighting the game’s flaws and seeing what steps would be taken to fix them. With the game finally reaching a stable state and new content beginning to be added, though, Spider-Man is being talked about once again.
Originally, leaks indicated that Spider-Man’s release date would be coming sometime in March 2021. However, with that month having since passed, fans have lost their only potential date for the character. Though March may have initially been the plan, the exclusive character was likely put on hold. Similar to the delay for Kate Bishop, stability updates and gameplay improvements were likely prioritized instead. However, Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that it is finally working on the hero right now, with the studio even providing a hint about a possible release window.
Spider-Man’s Potential Release Date
Spider-Man is confirmed to be coming after Black Panther, and while this may help narrow things down slightly, it is not a dead giveaway as to when the hero will release. As of now, Black Panther does not have a release date or month scheduled, with King T’Challa instead being announced for 2021. While this vague date has its positives, as it allows Crystal Dynamics to take its time and avoid disappointing fans if it does not meet a certain window, fans are once again left in the dark. Still, the roadmap for the game can provide a few answers.
When looking at Marvel’s Avengers’ updated content roadmap, players will notice that each section thus far has been assigned a month. In March, the Future Imperfect operation released, allowing players to enjoy Hawkeye’s missions and abilities. April has brought the Tachyon Anomaly event, giving players the chance to control several of the same Avenger in a single squad. Come May, the Red Room Takeover event will see players learning more of Black Widow’s backstory via a reworked HARM room. The much-awaited MCU suits will also be making their debut.
Assuming this pattern continues, June will give players access to the Cosmic Cube villain sector. In July, the intriguing Wasteland Patrol mission type would then debut, with the final section being none other than Black Panther and War for Wakanda. If this pattern continues, the hero and his brand-new story will be coming in August. However, if Crystal Dynamics takes a bit longer with this large-scale expansion, something like a September or October release is also viable. Regardless, this means that the earliest Spider-Man will likely come to the game is September of 2021 — marking a full year for the game being on the market.
Why Spider-Man Needs To Be Worth The Wait
Considering that Spider-Man being added a year after he was announced is the best-case scenario for the DLC, Crystal Dynamics needs to ensure that Spidey’s arrival lives up to the hype. As such, the character’s iconic movement needs to be seen, with extra focus being placed on Peter Parker’s traversal in Marvel’s Avengers. Likewise, the villain that comes with his Operation needs to feel fresh, moving away from the overly similar fights like Maestro and Abomination. While Spider-Man has a terrific rogues gallery to pull from, ranging from Sandman to Carnage, Crystal Dynamics needs to ensure that its villain choice is the right fit for the game.
Spider-Man also needs to be just as fun to play as when compared to the other characters, and the right voice actor needs to be chosen for the role. With the biggest strength of Marvel’s Avengers being its take on the main characters, that same positive needs to carry over to Spider-Man. Just like Marvel’s Avengers version of Black Widow, Spidey needs a great performance behind him and an awesome moveset. His webbing needs to feel as smooth and effective as does in the Insomniac games, and his abilities need to feel fresh and unique as opposed to another damage boost ultimate being provided.
Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man DLC is under pressure, as the hero has already been done justice in video game form. On top or that, gamers are holding out hope that the character will be worth the hype, as his arrival was teased a full month before the game’s launch. With time continuing to pass and players continuing to wait for Spider-Man, though, their expectations are only going to grow. While Crystal Dynamics made the right call by prioritizing improvements to the core game, its focus now needs to be on making sure the Spider-Man DLC is incredible. With Marvel’s Avengers likely to be over a year old when Peter Parker arrives, his addition cannot be an afterthought. Instead, gamers that have stuck with the game need to be rewarded for their patience.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.