Marvel’s Avengers has been a crazy but enjoyable journey. I went into this game knowing full well what it means to start a Games-as-a-Service at launch. They get plagued with bugs at launch due to its online nature. The game is structurally sound, but it has some issues it needs to fight through. Sadly, it lost players fast in the beginning and became an easy target for repeating talking points online.
Still, Crystal Dynamics has been hard at work trying to fix the bugs and show the players that they care. They initially patched as much as possible early on. We just recently got our first content patch, which was slightly underwhelming but still offered something new to do. This week, we finally got a blog discussing the journey to this point. In it, they did what many avoid, they confessed that the bugs deterred players. It is a big move to confess to something like this. Yet, they aren’t stopping there but are also giving away free resources to thank players for their patience.
- Credits: 1500
- Units: 7000
- Upgrade Modules: 250
- DNA Keys: 20
- A Sarah Garza-Inspired Nameplate (Because seriously, you’re the best.)
Those credits can get anyone a Legendary Skin and a nameplate. They are giving away $15 in value for the credits alone. Plus, the in-joke of the game of Garza repeating her line is just a nice touch. It will be available as of October 22nd. The blog entry also includes some details about new community-driven features that are coming our way, such as a campaign replay option of the game’s story, a unique ping system for multiplayer and more clarity about mission rewards. We have seen a lot of Quality-of-Life improvements in their last update, so these will add a whole new level to the game.
They also dedicated an entire section to the issues that have been plaguing the game since launch. They also discuss the performance and stability issues, and their dependency on NVIDIA for the PC port. Crystal Dynamics is also looking into ways to optimize matchmaking by rethinking its structure and updating the rewards system. They also highlighted that work is underway to offer a multiplayer alternative to the Mega Hive. This game made was a big discussion point among players, as it is a single-player only mission.
It would be one thing to just focus on the fixes, but they also teased some new content coming soon. They will be introducing a new mission type called Omega-Level Threats. These are multiplayer-focused challenges for high-level players with unique rewards. In the blog, they also tease an Avengers-worthy fight at the end, which could hopefully include new villains. They also point out this is just the first step. Crystal Dynamics also finally confirmed that the first Omega threat is going to be the A.I.M. Cloning Lab, which will be a weekend-only event. Sadly, they do not include an exact release date but could be in the coming weeks.
They also confirmed that Kate Bishop is not going to release in October. They state it is a slight delay, so that means it could be at the beginning of the month. I am okay with a later release, as it is for free, and that could mean they are adding more content to it. Their recent patch had many underwhelmed, so they might want to focus on making it deliver on what everyone is expecting. We will know more in November, as they have also confirmed we will finally get a tour next War Table video by then, which most likely will include the long-promised road map. They confirmed Clint will be included and what we can expect from 2021. I do fear that this means Black Panther won’t release this year, as originally predicted.
I believe this was a necessary and important move by the developer. It is very detailed and honest about the faulty launch. I did not expect a free bundle for early players, but it is a nice gesture. Hopefully, this is the beginning of continuous content drops for the game. I am having a blast with the game and I want to see where they are heading. Kate Bishop’s addition will be our first indicator of what we can expect from the game moving forward, so I am looking forward to that. Yes, the delay isn’t great but it means they are focusing on getting the game where it needs to be. Let’s see where this journey brings us in the near future.
Source: Play Avengers
