From virtually every angle, 2021 is going to be a make-or-break year for Marvel’s Avengers. After a rough launch that lost Square Enix millions, the game is currently in a state of repair and rebuilding. While player counts are low now, some Marvel fans are holding onto the hope that Crystal Dynamics can still rescue its Avengers project. If the game is going to follow in the footsteps of No Man’s Sky to rise from the ashes and deliver the superhero experience that fans want, it will need to so in 2021.
With Crystal Dynamics seemingly determined to turn Marvel’s Avengers around, fans can expect some meaningful changes to Marvel’s Avengers next year. While it may be a case of “too-little too-late” for many players, 2021 should offer new content for those interested in giving the game another go. From more heroes and villains to new types of content and special events, here is everything to expect from Marvel’s Avengers in 2021.
Keeping Promises: More Heroes And Villains
Square Enix has promised to save Marvel’s Avengers with DLC, and the most discussed form of this post-launch content is hero expansions. Bringing more story content alongside a new playable superhero, fans have already seen one of these expansions in action via the recently released Kate Bishop DLC. Perhaps the best thing about these hero updates, however, is the villains that come with them. With Marvel’s Avengers in desperate need of more boss fights due to the game’s villain sectors only offering battles with Abomination, Taskmaster, and large AIM bots, the arrival of more big bads is sure to be welcomed.
Players already know what to expect from the next hero DLC for Marvel’s Avengers, as original Hawkeye Clint Barton will be the playable character given access to. Barton will be exploring a post-apocalyptic universe ravaged by a Kree attack on Earth, with the older Hawkeye already detailing his plan to prevent this future in the Kate Bishop DLC. He will be doing battle with Marvel villain Maestro as well, with the alternate reality Bruce Banner wielding the powers of The Hulk in not-so-heroic ways.
Following Clint Barton’s arrival, players can expect more heroes to make their debut in the game. Concept art of War Machine has already leaked, while Spider-Man and Black Panther are officially confirmed to come to the game. While it is unclear what villain the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man DLC will include, his Rogue’s Gallery is packed full of iconic antagonists — many of which work well as Avengers-level threats. As for Black Panther, it can be expected that he’ll do battle with Killmonger or Klaw, his most iconic villains. With every hero and villain added to the game, Marvel's Avengers becomes a deeper and more content-heavy game, all for free, making it a solid place for Crystal Dynamics to start.
Listening To Feedback: New Mission Types and Enemies
Black Panther is also likely to be the first character that comes with a new Marvel’s Avengers region for players to explore. Giving players access to the gorgeous, futuristic city of Wakanda should prove exciting for fans looking for more variety in the areas they fight in, though it will not solve all of the game's problems. After all, the biggest problem plaguing Marvel’s Avengers has been its repetitive nature, something that Crystal Dynamics will likely try to fix in 2021.
While the addition of a new region is a positive thing, Wakanda will likely feel like a palette swap as opposed to a meaningful step forward if the game’s missions do not see some changes. One of the big ways to fix Marvel’s Avengers will be through more mission types, but beyond that, players can expect Crystal Dynamics to make some changes to the current offerings. Hives, the main endgame activity, feel extremely similar—with occasional boss floors being a possible way to change things up. Different vault types could come to Marvel’s Avengers, with the game’s Warzones potentially pulling from the Destiny series to introduce random events into the missions for more variety.
Aside from reworks of the game’s mission types, one thing Marvel’s Avengers needs to do is take the fight beyond AIM. Players have been fighting the organization for months, taking down the same enemies and adaptoids on repeat since the game arrived. Crystal Dynamics can only do so much with the faction, meaning a new villain needs to come about that introduces an entire lineup of basic enemy types to the game. Fortunately, there are plenty of great villains that can come to Marvel’s Avengers that meet those requirements. From the previously teased Ultron to Dr. Doom and his Doombots, there are countless Marvel foes that can introduce more enemy variety. As such, fans should expect to see at least one come to the game in 2021.
Taking Advantage Of The Marvel Brand: Themed Events And Rewards
New heroes, villains, and missions can all be expected for Marvel’s Avengers come 2021. However, one thing that fans of the game should also be anticipating is a major attempt at special events. Every other games-as-a-service title has at least flirted with the idea of limited time events, with others embracing them as a key source of post-launch content. As such, it can be expected that Marvel’s Avengers takes notes from the best events in gaming to produce some memorable themed content next year.
Traditional, holiday-based events are certainly possible for Marvel’s Avengers, with players being able to deck out their heroes in Santa hats or pink Valentine’s Day designs for a short period of time. However, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics could deliver some special, fan-pleasing content for Marvel’s Avengers during the Halloween season. Rather than just doing a by-the-books Halloween event, the studio could continue to pull from the comics to adapt the Marvel Zombies storyline. Offering special cosmetics that zombify each hero as well as a new undead enemy type that would be a blast to fight against, the sky is the limit for a Marvel Zombies event.
More events could see other comic book storylines adapted, such as Civil War and Secret Invasion. Crystal Dynamics’ events could also take a page out of Blizzard’s book, introducing special brawls like Overwatch has. Giving players limited-time modes that fit an event’s theme, such as a boss fight with Hydra Cap or a 4v4 Civil War-like battle against an AI-controller team of heroes, Marvel’s Avengers could revive the community through a combination of unique events and story-based DLC.
While the possible content that will be seen during these special occasions is purely speculation, players can still expect some sort of events to come to the game in 2021. With extra regions, more content variety, and more supervillains to do battle with, there is still hope for Marvel’s Avengers to thrive.
Marvel's Avengers is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions currently in development.
