Rumor has it that Marvel is joining forces with Electronic Arts to develop a new fighting game. The popular comic book and movie juggernaut has seen something of a resurgence in the world of gaming over the past few years thanks to big hits like Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man series and smaller successes like Eidos Montreal’s Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and even more interactive adventures are on the way. Later this year, XCOM developer Firaxis will release the supernaturally-themed Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and Insomniac is looking to build on its growing shared universe of superhero games with the in-development Marvel’s Wolverine.
There have also been rumors of a brand-new, Marvel-themed fighting game, with Mortal Kombat and Injustice studio NetherRealm said to be developing this new clash of the superheroes. Over the past two years, various leaks have provided clues about this new Marvel fighting game’s potential roster of playable heroes and villains, and some fans have even gone as far as suggest that it could feature a crossover between Marvel’s iconic lineup of characters and those of rival publishing house DC Comics. However, most industry insiders have claimed that NetherRealm is instead focusing its efforts on the yet-to-be-announced Mortal Kombat 12, and some new developments hint that if there is a Marvel-based fighting game in the works, it might now be done by a different studio altogether.
Earlier this week, Comicbook.com reported a leak from gaming insider Nick Baker claiming that EA is working with Marvel on a brand-new video game, though the exact details haven’t been verified yet. Another report from Twitter user and Mortal Kombat rumor hunter The Thiny from earlier today adds to these leaks by claiming that this supposed EA Marvel title is a fighting game, and while he has no concrete word on if this is indeed true, his source is said to be similar to the ones that correctly predicted the upcoming Warner Bros. crossover brawler MultiVersus.
While most of Marvel’s fighting games have come in the form of the legendary Marvel Vs. Capcom series, EA once partnered with the House of Ideas to produce 2005’s Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects - a lesser-known 3D brawler that pitted heroes like Spider-Man, The X-Men, and Daredevil against a mysterious group of original characters. Reviews and sales figures for Rise of the Imperfects were lukewarm at best, ending EA’s brief partnership with Marvel a year after it was released. However, it’s possible that EA could utilize its in-house EA Canada studio and its expertise on the EA Sports UFC series to produce a more well-received superhero title.
That’s assuming that these claims of EA developing a Marvel-based fighting game are indeed true, as nothing official has been disclosed by any of the companies that would be involved with such a project. Still, there are plenty of fans hoping for a great Marvel fighting game following the lackluster reception of 2017’s Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite and the far greater success of NetherRealm’s two Injustice titles. Only time will tell if the rumors shared by Nick Baker and The Thiny are accurate, so fans will have to keep their eyes and ears peeled for any official announcements from Marvel or Electronic Arts about any future collaborations.
Source: The Thiny/The Twitter (via Comicbook.com)