Since its launch in September 2020, Marvel's Avengers has had a difficult time finding its footing. The superhero action title has been praised for its ongoing story, which boasts a star-studded voice cast and gives attention to lesser-known heroes such as Kamala Khan and Kate Bishop. The game's combat design has also been well-received, with each playable Avenger feeling uniquely powerful. However, Marvel's Avengers received a lot of criticism at launch for its broad microtransaction system and a lack of meaningful endgame content, and these issues have only grown more noticeable in the game's first year, especially after its in-game Marketplace began selling consumable items to boost experience and resources.
Up until recently, Marvel's Avengers' Marketplace was used only to sell cosmetic items, which include character skins, emotes, and nameplates. Before launch, developer Crystal Dynamics promised that microtransactions in Marvel's Avengers would not affect gameplay, with any gameplay expansions such as new heroes or missions being added for free. This live-service approach allows the game to continue making money after launch, but does not force any players to spend their money for an in-game benefit.
Unfortunately, Crystal Dynamics recently began selling consumable items in Marvel's Avengers, breaking its previous promise. Buying these items offers direct gameplay benefits in the form of experience or in-game resources, which in conjunction with an update in March 2021 that decreased the amount of experience players earn during gameplay, has left parts of the game's player base feeling used. The release of paid experience boosts feels to some like a way to capitalize on this earlier update and make players pay for a better experience.
Crystal Dynamics' Response To The Marvel's Avengers Controversy
The sudden addition of paid consumables to the Marketplace led to an uproar amongst Marvel's Avengers fans across social media. For about two weeks Crystal Dynamics stopped interacting with fans or releasing updates for the game, even canceling weekly developer streams. Then, the studio began teasing Avengers' upcoming Klaw Raid without ever having addressed the widespread criticism of paid consumables. As of writing, Crystal Dynamics has not issued any response to the controversy, with a blog post on October 14 making zero mention of the fan outcry. Currently, the consumable boosters are still available in the Marketplace.
Marvel's Avengers was launched to rocky reception, and opinions on the game have not improved since, but Crystal Dynamics has consistently updated the Marvel brawler with new content. The game's latest expansion, War for Wakanda, was able to deliver an authentic Black Panther experience that made the game's future look promising. Additional content is planned until at least the end of 2021, such as the Klaw Raid and playable Spider-Man, but Crystal Dynamics continuing to ignore the game's recent controversy could ultimately do a great deal of damage. Paid consumables clearly break a promise that the team made before launch, and reducing experience gain earlier this year makes the addition look like a cash grab. If Marvel's Avengers is to continue improving and expanding into 2022, its developer must begin communicating with fans more openly and responding to feedback more quickly.
Marvel's Avengers is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Google Stadia.