Marvel's Avengers was among the most anticipated game releases of the year in 2020, but things didn't work out so well for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' heroic experience. Although gamers were initially enamored with the story, the multiplayer focussed elements failed to hold the player base, leading to low interest in the post-launch content.
In the two years since then, Square Enix has delivered new heroes with Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Jane Foster's Mighty Thor. The first three heroes were accompanied by major story additions and new regions to explore, but the content flow has fallen off heavily since the "War for Wakanda" expansion dropped last year.
Neither Spider-Man nor Jane Foster were accompanied by story expansions like the early DLC, and now the emphasis looks to be on cosmetic additions to the heroes. Several of the most popular suits have taken inspiration from the MCU, and now, the game has paid tribute to the Avengers: Endgame death of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man.
Marvel's Avengers Pays Tribute to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man
Square Enix officially announced Iron Man's next outfit for Marvel's Avengers will pay tribute to his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame by featuring the armored Avenger wielding a loaded Stark Gauntlet.
The outfit closely adapts Tony Stark's Mark 85 suit with the Infinity Stones loaded into his arm, energy running throughout his body, and battle damage from his fight against Thanos.
The upcoming cosmetic release referred to the suit as "Iron Man's Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame (Snap) Outfit," which will release in the in-game marketplace on Thursday, July 21:
"'I am Iron Man.'
Inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man's Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame (Snap) Outfit shows One of Earth's Mightiest Heroes ready to give everything to save the universe.
Get it in the Marketplace tomorrow!"
Is Marvel's Avengers On Its Last Legs?
Looking at the five DLC heroes released so far, Square Enix has been lacking some level of creativity with its selection. Jane Foster's Mighty Thor obviously has major similarities to the original Thor, while the addition of Clint Barton just made for a second Hawkeye on the roster as Kate Bishop arrived shortly before him.
So, Black Panther, Kate Bishop, and Spider-Man have been the only major additions - putting aside the fact the wall-crawler can only be used on PlayStation. Who knows what heroes may be in the future of the game, but players can only hope Square Enix looks slightly deeper into Marvel lore for future additions.
Marvel's Avengers has yet to match the scale of its early expansions, with the promise of significant story updates being largely left behind last year with the Black Panther-centric update. But as the superhero action-adventure has already been confirmed during an investor call to have lost Square Enix $105 million, perhaps there simply isn't the money in the budget anymore.
Based on the reactions of those who are still eagerly following Marvel's Avengers, the community appears to be extremely disappointed with the arrival of another Iron Man skin. Many were hoping that the recent release of Thor: Love and Thunder would bring with it an MCU-inspired outfit for the Mighty Thor, but that's clearly proven not to be the case, for now.
As interest remains low in Marvel's Avengers, who knows what the future may hold for the title along with other Marvel games? For now, Marvel's Avengers is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Stadia.