Marvel’s Avengers fans on PlayStation consoles have patiently waiting for Spider-Man’s debut for over a year now. Despite the hero being announced before launch, Marvel’s Avengers’ one-year anniversary has passed, and a release date has still not been provided. Fortunately, comments from Crystal Dynamics and the game’s latest roadmap have confirmed that Peter Parker is launching sometime this year, with his big debut finally set to bring the waiting to an end.

Obviously, fans are excited to see Crystal Dynamics’ take on the character, especially with Insomniac’s work on Marvel’s Spider-Man setting such a high standard. However, while he could be a lot of fun to play, and it should be a blast hearing him interact with all the other heroes, Marvel’s Avengers fans should not expect much Spider-Man-related content beyond the hero himself.

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What The New Roadmap Reveals About Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Content

Avengers New Roadmap

Marvel’s Avengers’ new roadmap promises some exciting things for the remainder of 2021, with the first raid being listed alongside some returning events. A gear rework and unlockable cosmetics are also mentioned, which are two of the most requested additions to the game. Alongside all these things is a Spider-Man section, and this understandably has fans excited. However, the size of his section on the roadmap also hints at a smaller content drop.

Thus far, every hero added to Marvel’s Avengers has come with their own Operation. Kate Bishop had Taking Aim and Clint Barton had Future Imperfect, with the two DLC stories coming together to tell one chapter of the Narrative. Black Panther brought War for Wakanda, with T’Challa’s story being a standalone adventure that let players explore the nation’s stunning jungle. However, Spider-Man is not listed as having an Operation. Instead, he has a “hero event.”

This name could suggest that players will have some special challenges to complete and items to collect, much like how the Red Room Takeover worked. This is purely speculation, however, as hero events are new to Marvel’s Avengers. Still, if it was a proper Operation, it would make sense for Crystal Dynamics to list it as such like it has with all the others. Based on the wording, it seems like Spider-Man could be coming to the game in a different way than other characters have. He may not be getting a few hours of story content that introduce him into the world, with no new villain accompanying him, either.

This is seemingly supported by the lack of a Spider-Man visual on the roadmap. While eagle-eyed Marvel’s Avengers fans can make out the hero swinging in front of Klaue on the roadmap, he is not the focus of the image, something that once again sets him apart from the other hero additions. Instead of having his own picture and section that explains everything that will be coming alongside his debut, which is what Hawkeye and Black Panther had, Spider-Man only gets a small section by everything else at the bottom of the roadmap. With this in mind, it can be assumed that Spidey is not going to be a game-changing addition, with Crystal Dynamics possibly only adding the hero himself and some cosmetics. As such, fans expecting a new story and Operation may want to lower their expectations.

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The Pros And Cons Of Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Content Being Limited

Spider Man PS exclusive date announced

If this theory is correct, and it turns out that Spider-Man’s content will be limited to a hero card, marketplace skins, and the wall-crawler himself, it instantly presents some pros and cons. One positive is that it would allow Crystal Dynamics to focus on getting the character’s gameplay right, something that would undoubtedly be a challenge. After all, there is nothing like Spider-Man’s traversal in the game currently, and his webbing would likely need to have an entirely new status effect due to just how unique it is.

A bigger positive is that players on other platforms may be a bit less frustrated by Spidey’s arrival. Spider-Man in Marvel’s Avengers is a double-edged sword as is, so adding a massive amount of exclusive content alongside him would be even more controversial. Missing out on a playable Spider-Man is already a big blow to those on PC and Xbox, but adding a full-on story campaign that is only accessible on PlayStation would be an even bigger hit. With the game still needing more content, adding a fresh villain and missions to one platform could hinder its recovery more than it would help. Without a Spidey story, Crystal Dynamics can focus on adding new missions and bosses that all players can access.

However, an equally big negative is that Spidey may struggle to fit into the world. War for Wakanda’s campaign did a great job of explaining T’Challa’s story before and after A-Day, both through cutscenes and collectibles. If Spider-Man does not have these, it could be extremely difficult for Crystal Dynamics to make its Spider-Man stand out. There is plenty of potential in a Peter Parker story that deals with factions like AIM and a disbanded Avengers team, so Crystal Dynamics limiting his story to some elevator conversations would be a bit of a shame.

Likewise, some would argue that it would be better to add exclusive missions and villains than to add nothing at all. Spider-Man has an incredible Rogues’ Gallery, with foes like Sandman and Venom easily being able to serve as Avengers-level threats. A full-on Sinister Six appearance would instantly improve upon the game’s lacking boss lineup, as fans have been hoping for more boss fights like Klaue and Monica from the Cosmic Cube Villain Sector. While it would be painful for those not on PlayStation platforms, having a large Operation for Spider-Man could instantly improve the game for a big part of its active audience.

While Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man content potentially being limited makes sense, it would come with some good and bad aspects. With it seeming like a real possibility based on the wording in the roadmap, though, fans need to keep their expectations in check. Those wanting a fresh Spider-Man story with a brand-new villain might not get their wish, as an Operation does not seem likely at this time. Instead, players should only prepare for Spider-Man himself to come to the game, with everything else being a bonus. While Crystal Dynamics has promised a lot of support in 2022, Spider-Man might not be able to improve Marvel’s Avengers as much as Black Panther has.

Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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