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  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Hints at Black Panther’s Backstory Ahead of ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Hints at Black Panther’s Backstory Ahead of ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion

    The latest Marvel’s Avengers dev stream was quite an event. Not only did we get to chat with Christopher Judge on his approach to bringing Black Panther to life, but also some insight into the story by Evan Narcisse and Hannah MacLeod. They offered some interesting details on how they approached the story and the relevance of clearly defining this worlds’ Wakanda alongside its history. Here are some of the highlights from the dev stream:

    • Narcisse worked as a narrative consultant on the project. His work was to find the combination between the story and its game mechanics. He ensures that they satisfyingly inform each other and everything is told holistically.
    • Their focus was to follow an older version of T’Challa. In comparison to other versions, they wanted to dive deeper into his intellectual and scientific side. He likes to think things through before jumping into danger.
    • There was a lot of pressure following the films’ well-established version of Black Panther and Wakanda.

     

    Marvel's Avengers on Twitter: "One more day until #SquareEnixPresents! Here's a screenshot to whet your appetite.… "

     

    • CD was inspired by the concept of a superpowered state that was the main focus of the Enemy of the State comic storyline. When a nation is highly advanced, diplomacy might never be such a simple answer. Wakanda will face its biggest threat in the upcoming expansion and that will further explore the aftermath in a nation that believed it was untouchable.
    • T’Challa isn’t just a king. He is the living embodiment of Wakanda’s symbol. The Black Panther is a heavy burden to carry and it will inform his character. Plus, he’s been carrying this weight for some time. His worldview also puts him in conflict with Shuri. An event has shaped a crater in their relationship, which will get explored in the story.
    • He’s much more of an isolationist and is carrying some anger. He is still in control of his emotions, but it’s only a question of time before he hits his limit.

     

    Avengers Game: Black Panther Release Date Revealed With Free DLC

     

    • Klaue is also a unique adaptation in the game. He isn’t a mercenary or would-be colonizer. While his obsession with Vibranum remains, this version of the character is a scientist. He built his technology and is using AIM’s gear to his advantage.
    • They’ve explored the Dora Milaje history to inform their relationship with him in the game. In the comics, they were not only warriors but also concubines. So, Okoye has some traits from the films, but they tried to balance her respect towards her king in a curious way.
    • McLeod and Narcisse shared their experience tackling this ever-expanding story and confirmed that many stories get mapped out simultaneously. Their team works together on each operation, and it helps to put together how the story continues to evolve.

    It sounds very promising what Crystal Dynamics cooked up in their writing team. They teased more insight in the following weeks ahead of his release. We’ll get a gameplay showcase and even some hints on what to expect with the War for Wakanda expansion. The unique approach to the character is promising, and it feels like we’re about to enter a new era for Marvel’s Avengers.

    Source: Twitch

  • Christopher Judge Talks Voicing ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther

    Christopher Judge Talks Voicing ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther

    A few days ago, we finally got the confirmation Christopher Judge is voicing Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers. The actor has been in various projects ranging from Stargate SG-1, The Dark Knight Rises to The Mentalist. He also has a history of voicing video game characters. 2018’s God of War is a stand-out performance and reminded everyone of the power of his voice.

    So, he’s been a fan-favorite to take on the iconic mantle since the character got first announced. In today’s Crystal Dynamics stream, viewers had the chance to ask questions to the actor to find out his approach to bringing the character to life. Here are some of the highlights from that stream:

    • Yes, he got to say Wakanda Forever! He even rocked a shirt with it during the stream. He revealed he was hiding his Black Panther outfits so no one would realize he got the role.
    • Black Panther is a character that Judge always wanted to play but never thought he’d get the chance. He only takes roles he 100% believes in, which was his prerequisite before taking it. 
    • The actor highlighted his love for the character and his social relevance being an integral part of tackling the character. It was a humbling experience, especially getting to work alongside Evan Narcisse was a highlight. They geeked out for a bit on stream.

     

    God of War's Kratos Voices Black Panther In Marvel's Avengers New DLC - Game Informer

     

    • He confessed he’s a nerd and has been collecting comics since the 60s. So, he had some insight into the character.
    • His main goal was to make the role his own. He worked with Beth Maguire, who was the dialect coach on the Marvel Studios film.
    • She offered insight into how he can approach the accent and its history as she traveled through Africa to experience the Native languages first-hand. She was very strict on his accent and made sure he stayed true to it.
    • As he usually plays bulky and muscular characters, he lost around 32 pounds to “feel” like T’Challa. He’s a more athletic character, and the actor wanted to get into the right headspace.

     

    Black Panther is coming to 'Marvel's Avengers' later this year | Engadget

     

    • His biggest challenge was recording everything from home in isolation. He couldn’t play off the other actors. So, he had to do a lot of prep-work on the characters, their interactions, and relations. It was sadly a restriction due to the pandemic.
    • Working with Crystal Dynamics was not only a great experience but also an emotional anchor during the pandemic. Their shared belief and passion for the character helped him get through the rough times.
    • Judge confirmed he’s been working on the character for a year-and-a-half.

    His passion for the project is infectious. In the Entertainment Weekly article, he did hint that he was hesitant to tackle the role after Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic passing. He highlights how they are trying to make this a very unique take on the character. They want to carry on the legacy. This version of T’Challa has been in his role for some time. So, we can expect a way more experienced Black Panther once the War for Wakanda expansion releases in August.

    Source: Twitch, Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: Black Panther’s ‘War for Wakanda’ Campaign Length Teased

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: Black Panther’s ‘War for Wakanda’ Campaign Length Teased

    Entertainment Weekly had a big day for Marvel’s Avengers. We got the confirmation for Christopher Judge as Black Panther alongside some story details. There was also a rather curious claim that the upcoming expansion known as War for Wakanda would be around 25 hours long. Now, we theorized that this might be about the various missions that’ll be available in the game, as the length of the main campaign is around ten hours long. Luckily, Keano Raubun, game and narrative designer on the game, clarified the meaning of the number. It seems that it was definitely not about the story length but rather how long the game’s overall storyline is since the first Reassemble campaign.

    https://twitter.com/xArcky/status/1415693314276438023

    He didn’t clarify how long we can expect the new expansion to end up being, but you can make a decent estimate. He also confirmed that it includes Kate Bishop’s Taking AIM, Hawkeye’s Future Imperfect, and the recent Cosmic Cube villain sector. So, we can guess around five to eight hours’ worth of story in the upcoming Black Panther operation. Now, that is no small feat as it rivals the length of the main campaign and doesn’t include the various additional content that is heading our way. So, you might be playing quite a few more hours, as it only references the story length.

    Of course, we still don’t know exactly how long it will be and some people’s playtime can vary depending on how they tackle each mission. Either way, it seems like the expansion is truly that and with a brand new playable character, a lot is heading our way with Marvel’s Avengers. We also know that a new roadmap will get released in the coming month, which will also give us a better picture of what we can expect beyond the expansion.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Included)

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Story Details for ‘War for Wakanda’ Revealed

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Story Details for ‘War for Wakanda’ Revealed

    The wait has been long, but Entertainment Weekly finally unveiled that Christopher Judge will voice Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers upcoming expansion. War for Wakanda is eyeing an August release and will introduce players to a very distinctive version of the famous story. Outside of the story trailer teasing a conflict with Ulysses Klaw, we knew very little about the story. The title certailny gives away the main plot, but the EW article offered a bit more insight into the story.

     

    Marvel's Avengers game Black Panther

     

    The story will continue where the first campaign took place. T’Challa, who has been king for some time now, was negotiating with Steve Rogers to work with the Avengers. Yet, after A-Day, his death led to the closing of their borders once again. Klaw got hired by MODOK to steal their vibranium, which kicks off the events of the expansion. Narrative Lead Hannah McLeod teased his motivation for this personal vendetta.

    [Klaw] has a personal vendetta against Wakanda that I don’t want to spoil. It’s different than the comics,” teases McLeod. “We’ll say he has this sonic technology he developed that is used specifically to make vibranium tech vulnerable, but it also has this issue where it causes corruption in vibranium. That corrupt vibranium is starting to sprout all over the earth, which is why the Avengers get involved.

    As T’Challa has been king for some time, we’ll see a very different version of the character. He has some tension with his sister Shuri, as he believes to know what Wakanda needs. Klaw won’t be the only antagonist, as they confirmed two central villains in the game’s story. You’ll also get to meet the game’s version of the Dora Milaaje and the sorcerer Zawavari. EW teases a 25-hour single-player campaign, which may include quite a few side activities. It sounds like quite a massive expansion if it truly offers that length of content outside of the usual GaaS grind. We’ll find out more in the coming weeks, and we cannot wait to play T’Challa once he is made available in the game.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: ‘God of War’s Christopher Judge Voicing Black Panther

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: ‘God of War’s Christopher Judge Voicing Black Panther

    Marvel’s Avengers has drawn in quite a lot of talent to voice their adaptations of the iconic Marvel characters. We’ve theorized for some time that perhaps Christopher Judge would end up voicing Black Panther and even theorized when the first sound bites leaked online. It seems we were right, as Entertainment Weekly has officially announced that he is indeed voicing the king of Wakanda. He will make his debut in the expansion release of War for Wakanda, which is eyeing an August release. He revealed he initially denied voicing the character due to the legacy left behind by Chadwick Boseman but eventually decided to embrace the role.

    I turned it down straight away. There’s many Black Panthers, but I really didn’t believe that anyone should ever do T’Challa again [after Boseman]. The actual talks proceeded and, basically, I wound up doing it because my mother and my children said if I didn’t do it, they would disown me.

    When he did end up taking the role, he decided to make the role his own by taking a different approach on how to lend his voice to the character.

    To be quite honest, I was fearful of being compared to what Chadwick had so wonderfully done. The only way I could really wrap my head around it was to not even attempt a voice match, to let my performance stand on its own. I put all that into it and hopefully people like it

    Evan Narcisse, who wrote the Rise of the Black Panther comics, joined as a narrative consultant to craft the story alongside Crystal Dynamic’s narrative lead, Hannah McLeod. Their goal was to create a very distinct mythos inspired by the comics and films but wanted to add some curious surprises. You can check out a brand new look at the character in the following images:

     

    Marvel's Avengers game Black Panther

    Marvel's Avengers game Black Panther

     

     

    His addition is a great choice and proves the potential of this franchise. Hopefully, his popularity also could spin off into a Wakanda-focused spin-off. There’s a lot of potential with the character moving forward. To add to the excitement, Judge will also be a special guest on this Friday’s Crystal Dynamics stream to promote the character.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: Black Panther’s Wakanda Won’t Reuse Art Assets

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: Black Panther’s Wakanda Won’t Reuse Art Assets

    We’re so close to finally playing as Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers. It’s been a long wait, but the first teases have promised what seems like a whole new chapter in the game. Last week, we got a first look at some of the concept art for the War for Wakanda expansion. Tore Blystad, Crystal Dynamics Experience Director, offered some small insight during the dev stream, as they would go into more detail with a developer blog. It has finally arrived, and there are quite some curious details alongside new concept art.

    • Many of their designs are directly inspired by the comics, as they seek to recreate the “Marvel DNA.” As such, they used comic panels as a direct reference for some of their concept art.
    • Their main focus was also on making the new biome, the Wakandan Jungle, stand out. As we saw in the already released artwork, they want the sun to pierce through the plant life. They added many nooks and crannies to offer some worthwhile explorations.
    • A new artwork teases the Warrior’s Gate, which is part of a trial to re-enter Wakanda. Their goal with the designs was to combine traditional elements from ancient civilizations but showcase they were still millennia ahead of many other civilizations.

     

     

    • Crystal Dynamics’ goal was to ensure Wakanda is a contiguous space. Unlike other biomes, you’ll be moving from the crater rim staring at the Golden City, and the next scene will have you in the city.
    • They highlight that no art is recycled, which includes gameplay objects and resources. As the nation is unconquered, it’ll feel fresh and new. You’ll even be able to interact with elements, such as unique puzzle mechanisms, transportation devices, or defenses, such as a Wakandan turret or monorail.

    The description of the biome promises not one but multiple unique environments. Hawkeye’s Wasteland biome was a fun addition to the game with its orange post-apocalypse, but it was a repetitive view from one location into the next. The fun aspect was looking for the various comic references, such as the Kree heads scattered across the sand. Crystal Dynamics worked alongside Virtuous Shanghai and Nixxes to bring this unique biome to life.

    They tease many comic references, and it’s going to be exciting to explore the various new locations that add some needed variety to Marvel’s Avengers. The best part, this is only the first part that’ll explore the upcoming War for Wakanda DLC. So, it’s going to be exciting to see what else they reveal on the game’s first expansion.

    Source: Play Avengers

  • New ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Concept Art Teases Black Panther’s ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion

    New ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Concept Art Teases Black Panther’s ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion

    Marvel’s Avengers has some major updates heading our way with August’s Black Panther expansion being a highlight. Currently, the Red Room is back to celebrate the release of Black Widow, but all eyes are on the upcoming Omega-Level Threat that finally releases after getting teased since the release of Kate Bishop. Sadly, we’re still waiting for the secretive Cloning Labs but it’s even more exciting to think we can tackle it with Black Panther once he releases August. We’re still a month away but Crystal Dynamics shared a glimpse at the upcoming expansion. Let’s start with some key visuals offering a glimpse at

     

     

    They’ve offered some details on the game, especially that they reworked every asset to fit the Wakandan-theme. So, you can expect some classic items adapting to the new environment, which will make it stand out from the AIM theme we have had throughout the year. We’ll also see the blending of modern Wakandan technology with some traditional elements, which is highlighted in the temple that we got a brief glimpse of in the latest trailer.

     

     

    We’ve also got a look at their approach to the new environment. they’ve promised explorable caves with various secrets hidden within. We got a brief glimpse of Vibranium-infused glyphs. They even showcased an in-game screenshot to showcase there will be more verticality with this new biome. So, the traversal will be more dangerous, as they are trying to make the environments more engaging.

     

     

    There was also a tease of the new Outpost, which will be in the capital of Wakanda. Overall, the concept art is very promising and truly feels like it could be part of its own game. Crystal Dynamics teased a special guest for next week, which might finally be the reveal of the character’s voice actor, who has been heavily rumored to be Christopher Judge. Hopefully, we’ll also get some gameplay soon as a new trailer and War Table video got teased for the near future. We’re only a few weeks away before we finally visit Wakanda.

    Source: Twitch

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Adds New ‘Black Widow’ Inspired MCU Skin

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Adds New ‘Black Widow’ Inspired MCU Skin

    Marvel’s Avengers has been busy preparing for its big August update that will see Black Panther finally join the game. Until then, we have this month’s release of the first Multiplayer-focused endgame content in the form of Omega-Level Threats and the return of their Black Widow tie-in event, the Red Room Takeover. It originally came out back in May when the film was originally set to release but will make a return alongside the film’s premiere. Luckily, it seems that wasn’t the only tie-in they planned as their official Twitter channel just shared the first look at a brand new MCU-inspired skin from the upcoming film.

     

     

    The film eased quite a few different suits but it makes sense they went with the iconic white suit that’s been heavily advertised. It’s a great touch to use the Red Room visuals in the background, which added a unique flair to the HARM room challenges we’ve been playing since the game launched last year. It’s great that the game is doing film tie-ins and makes you wonder if we’ll see some more stuff in the future.

    Sadly, Shang-Chi isn’t playable but with rumors pointing to a late 2021 release for Spider-Man, we could potentially get some of his iconic suits from Spider-Man: No Way Home in the game. Either Way, July is going to be an exciting month for the game as we get closer and closer to Black Panther’s release. Here’s hoping he gets his Captain America: Civil War suit.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Eyeing an End of 2021 Release

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Eyeing an End of 2021 Release

    Marvel’s Avengers set out to accomplish an interesting goal. Through the Games-as-a-Service model, we would get a continuous expansion of its core roster. We’ve already gotten our hands on Kate Bishop and Clint Barton with Black Panther to release next month. There was also the open question about when we can expect the PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man. In the FKNA podcast, lead animator Anthony Garttmeyer from Crystal Dynamics offered some insight into the game’s development, which included the following line:

    Spider-Man is the End of the Year. That is all I can say.

    We have to take into account that the lead animator is not involved directly with the approval process. So, we shouldn’t take this as an official confirmation. We’ll most likely get a clearer picture once the Year 2 Roadmap drops this or next month, which could potentially include the character. He is also exclusive for one console. So, it’s uncertain how large his content drop will be and if we might see him get added alongside other content. At one point, PlayStation’s official magazine confirmed a March release but that didn’t pan out as planned.

    Garrtmeyer also discusses the details on how long heroes take to get developed, such as around four to eight months until the animation is finished. We have to also keep in mind that early data mines showed that a lot of prep work has been accomplished for the game, which is rather common for the GaaS genre. So, they might have done a lot of prep work to keep a tight timing for the releases. Of course, the pandemic and launch bugs have delayed the game’s initial roadmap. A potential December release would align with Spider-Man: No Way Home, but we’ll have to wait for an official word

    Source: Twitch, YouTube

  • Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Confirms Red Room Takeover Returns Next Week

    Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Confirms Red Room Takeover Returns Next Week

    Marvel’s Avengers once again got a brand new dev stream that offered some tiny insights into what the future holds. It was a rather short one as we are still in the middle of the Cosmic Cube event, but there was a nice major reveal. It looks like May’s Red Room Takeover event is making a grand return. It’ll run from July 8th up until the 22nd. We’ll also get a brand new nameplate and they confirmed the issues from last time were fixed. It is also a reason why it is making a return, as they wanted to offer those that missed out on it. Of course, that was not all, as we also got some updates on current bug fixes and what they are working on.

    • They confirmed that a minor patch is heading our way that’ll fix a variety of issues, which includes Captain America’s MCU shield, where his star was pointing the wrong direction, Monica shrinking and falling to her death in the Beating the Odds mission when using Hank Pym, and some other minor issues.
    • The bigger fix is regarding the Mega Hives and Last Avengers Standing, where enemies wouldn’t spawn on specific floors. This is still being looked into, but they found a fix that could help with various other issues. It does not require a patch and will be updated directly in the game.

     

    Marvel's Avengers' Red Room Takeover Is Now Live | Marvel

     

    • Hulk’s combat abilities were indeed nerfed, but only because he was overpowered due to a bug. His Thunderclap ability added 50% to melee damage rather than 25%.
    • They confirmed that up to eight different takedowns can get equipped once War for Wakanda drops.
    • Crystal Dynamics is looking into adding Twitch drops and other community offerings soon. It just sadly takes time due to many people being involved to make it a reality, but it is something to look forward to.
    • We also got a look at some brand new animated skins that feature magma running down their clothes. Luckily, @PlayAvenger was able to grab a video showcasing this effect for Thor’s skin:

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1411071667539939333?s=20

     

    Overall, it was a quieter stream as they are heading into a three-day weekend. The return of the Red Room Takeover is great, as it ties into next week’s Black Widow release. Again we got the tease of an MCU-inspired outfit heading our way before Thor gets his. So, I believe there is a good chance it’s a tie-in suit for the film’s release. The event’s runtime might also hint at the OLT’s release being the latest around the 22nd of July alongside multiplayer Mega Hives and permanent multi-heroes matchmaking. Here’s hoping we get more information next week on what is heading our way.

    Source: Twitch, Twitter