Just over two years after its original release, developer Crystal Dynamics is preparing to end active development on its “Marvel’s Avengers” game – a decision it “undertook in conjunction with our partners” according to a blog posting on the company’s official site.
They confirm there will be no new stories, features, or Heroes past the recent Update 2.7, which added the Winter Soldier. In addition, Spider-Man will remain a PlayStation exclusive in the game. The final balance update will be Update 2.8 which will be released on March 31st.
After that, Crystal Dynamics says it will turn off the cosmetics marketplace, and credits will no longer be purchasable. Credits balances will be converted into in-game resources and all cosmetics will be made available for free.
Support for the game will discontinue on September 30th, after which digital purchases will no longer be available, and the title will be delisted from digital storefronts like Steam.
All solo content will continue to be playable after support ends, and multiplayer will also remain available as servers stay online for the foreseeable future. However, Crystal Dynamics says they “can’t guarantee that [it] will be able to address issues that occur due to unforeseen circumstances.”
The game has been continually criticized since its first gameplay trailer arrived at E3 2019. Reviews and sales were mediocre, and the player count plummeted even as new content kept being added.
Square Enix sold off Crystal Dynamics to the Embracer Group in May 2022. The remaining talent working on the game is expected to be moved full-time to the new “Tomb Raider” title being published at Amazon Games and slated to be revealed later this year.
