Beginning with the now legendary Iron Man from 2008, Marvel set out to build a cinematic empire that now spans over 23 films, with 14 more in development. One of the most successful film franchises of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was bound to produce spin-off entertainment products, including games – such as the much-awaited Marvel’s Avengers set to be released in September 2020.
Marvel’s Avengers release date and beta version
As Phase Three of the MCU wrapped up with Avengers: Endgame, bringing an end to the first generation of Avengers, Square Enix has taken it upon themselves to satisfy our hunger for anything Avengers-related. And as they recently announced a second Marvel’s Avengers War Table digital stream ahead of launching the beta version of the game on 7th August, it is the perfect time to revisit what we know so far.
The game was originally scheduled to be released on May 15th but has since been given a new launch date of 4th September. Officially, Square Enix decided to delay the release of the game to polish a few details – which they will hopefully be able to do with the feedback they get during the beta version.
The game will be released across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and Microsoft Windows. Before its official release date, it will premiere in a beta program 7th -9th August, beginning with fans who have pre-ordered the game on PS4. Then, from 14th to 16th from August it will open up to all PS4 owners and those who have pre-ordered it on PC and Xbox, before launching across all platforms from 21st to 23rd. Players will need to have registered with Square Enix, which they can do for free, and are set to get a Thor nameplate when the game finally launches.
Cast and story: Meet Kamala Khan
As was the case with the War Table digital streams, the beta program is designed to be just a taste of what is to come – and it is bound to generate hype. One of the biggest draws of the game will be that gamers will be finally able to play as their favourite Marvel superhero, as the story revolves around the initial line-up of the Avengers.
Games based on Marvel or DC superheroes rely on the use of familiar visuals to appeal to players – but they rarely use the likeness of the actors famous for portraying the superheroes. One notable exception is Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern. Despite the fact that the movie was not tremendously successful, Reynolds has been popular among fans and his likeness was used across games based on the film.
These included 2011’s Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, where players are in control of the Green Lantern himself, defending the planet Oa and its self-appointed ”Guardians of the Universe”. The Green Lantern free slot game featuring Reynolds as the alter ego of Hal Jordan also spun off of the original production, which tentative slot players can play in demo mode to establish whether they want to go on to play a real-money edition.
By contrast, even though Marvel’s Avengers will feature a fan favourite cast, new actors will be used for visuals and voice work. Playable characters include Captain America (Jeff Schine), Iron Man (Nolan North), Thor (Travis Willingham), the Hulk, (by veterans Troy Baker and Daril De Paul), and the Black Widow (Laura Bailey).
Sandra Saad will voice the game’s fresh addition of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani American who discovers she has superpowers. She sets out to find the remaining Avengers, who fell off the radar after Captain America’s death in an incident called A-Day, and assemble them once more to defeat evil scientific organisation A.I.M. The story unfolds over several new locations, including San Francisco, and can be played offline in single-player mode or online in teams of up to four players.
Square Enix has promised an epic game, based heavily on narrative and unique features – and the expectations couldn’t be higher ahead of September!
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