Marvel’s Avengers launches in only a few days (actually, it’s available now if you ordered the Deluxe Edition) and Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics have delivered one last pre-launch dump of information in their latest Avengers War Table livestream. Details on some of the modes available at, or shortly after, launch were provided, but the big reveal was an all-new post-launch hero – the third Hawkeye, aka Kate Bishop. You can check out the full Avengers War Table, below.
And here’s Kate Bishop reveal trailer.
Kate Bishop will be the first post-launch Marvel’s Avengers hero, and will be followed by original Hawkeye, Clint Barton. Here’s a bit more detail about Kate Bishop:
Kate Bishop is officially the first Avenger to join our roster after launch, voiced by fan-favorite Ashly Burch. In the comics, Clint – the original Hawkeye – took on Kate as a protégé. That being said, Kate is often the mature one in the face of Clint’s recklessness.
Operation Marvel’s Avengers: Kate Bishop — Taking AIM will directly advance from the conclusion of the Reassemble campaign, and includes a new villain for Kate to face off against. Clint – voiced by TV veteran Giacomo Gianniotti – will come with his own Hero Operation, Marvel’s Avengers: Hawkeye — Future Imperfect. Considering the strong friendship and connection between Kate and Clint, we think of their Operations as a “double feature.”
So, aside from working your way through the single-player campaign, how will you be busying yourself in Marvel’s Avengers on day one? Here are some of the additional single-player modes and features:
- Daily and Weekly Missions – There are daily and weekly content resets, and the War Table is also dynamic. Some missions and rewards cycle in and out during your play session, some rotate daily, while others will only appear over the weekend.
- Villain Sectors – Villain Sectors are special missions that provide epic boss fights you’ll want to keep coming back to, especially the closer your Heroes get to the game’s launch power level cap of 150.
- Shield Vaults – Players can unlock SHIELD Vaults to claim resources, gear, and secrets. However, coordinates for SHIELD Vaults must be located within other missions first. SHIELD Vaults are critical to ensuring you are ready for the challenges in late-game play.
And here’s what you can expect from the “Avengers Initiative” live-service portion of the game:
- Events – Events are a way we’re keeping the Avengers Initiative fresh and new. Some events will take place over a week, and others will be seasonal. Some will have cosmetics and gear that are only available to earn for a limited time. We’re adding new locations to explore, with friendly faces (and voices!) you’ll recognize!
- SHIELD Substation Zero – SHIELD Substation Zero is a new Resistance Outpost led by Commander Maria Hill, who is voiced by industry veteran Jennifer Hale. Available shortly after launch, the Substation opens as a social space after temporal anomalies begin forming across the world. You’ll have to help Maria Hill investigate the source of these disturbances, known as Tachyon Rifts. We’ll save more details on the missions and the special gear you can earn for another time.
- AIM’s Secret Lab – This will drop shortly after launch and be a true test of late-game co-op teamplay. Only available once a week, the Lab must be completed within a set time window and concludes in a huge boss fight that will take some strategic thinking from your four-player team.
- Mega Hives – Mega Hive also arrives shortly after launch if you’re looking for a meaty solo challenge. This weekly mission type will test your full roster as you fight your way through descending floors with increasingly difficult enemies. When one hero goes down, another will join. After your full roster is defeated, you’ll need to start over from the beginning.
Interestingly, the War Table stream opened with a message saying some footage had been edited out in light of Chadwick Boseman’s unfortunate passing, strongly hinting some sort of Black Panther announcement was originally planned. Black Panther as a playable DLC character or a mission set in Wakanda perhaps? Probably for the best that Square Enix took a step back to think about how best to reveal the content, but hopefully we hear about some Black Panther stuff in the next War Table.
For those without early access, Marvel’s Avengers will arrive on PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on September 4. The game is also coming to Xbox Series X and PS5.
