Marvel’s Avengers development is ending, Crystal Dynamics confirms

It’s the endgame for Marvel’s Avengers. The 2020 video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix won’t get any new content or features after March 31, when the game’s final update (version 2.8) is released. All official support for Marvel’s Avengers and digital purchases of the game will come to an end on Sept. 30, 2023, Crystal Dynamics announced Friday.

November’s update 2.7, which added the Winter Soldier to the roster of playable heroes and the Cloning Lab Omega-Level Threat, is the final new content to be added to the game, Crystal Dynamics said. There will be no new cosmetics added to the game’s Marketplace, and all final balance updates will occur with update 2.8 in March.

Crystal Dynamics said that the game’s single-player and multiplayer content will remain playable indefinitely, even after official support ends in September. “However, after September 30, 2023 we can’t guarantee that we will be able to address issues that occur due to unforeseen circumstances,” the studio cautioned.

The developer also said that, starting March 31, all of the game’s “Marketplace, Challenge Card, and Shipment cosmetic content will be made available to all players for free.” That includes every single outfit, takedown, emote, and nameplate.

Ending support for Marvel’s Avengers, Crystal Dynamics said, was a decision “made in conjunction with our partners,” according to an FAQ the developer posted Friday.

Marvel’s Avengers was released on Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One in September 2020 to generally lukewarm reception. It was later upgraded to support PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, after those consoles launched.

Publisher Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics delivered a handful of new heroes to the game over time, adding Black Panther, Jane Foster’s The Mighty Thor, Kate Bishop, and Spider-Man to the base roster, which included Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and Black Widow. Spider-Man, a PlayStation-exclusive hero, will remain exclusive to the PlayStation versions of the game, Crystal Dynamics confirmed Friday.

Square Enix sold off Crystal Dynamics to the Embracer Group in May 2022, putting the future of Marvel’s Avengers, which already struggled with delays, angry players, and compelling new content, further in doubt. Now, it appears that the cool reception to Marvel’s Avengers and Crystal Dynamics diverting focus to a different project — a brand-new Tomb Raider game to be published by Amazon — has sealed the superhero game’s fate.