Comic adventure u-turns on “Pay-to-Win” mechanics
Thoroughly unsurprising, as inevitable as Thanos, paid XP boosts have been added to Square Enix’s RPGMarvel’s Avengers.Fans of the game have taken to social media to express their disappointment at the new update.
Players can now purchase “Consumables” fromMarvel’s Avengers’in-game store, allowing characters to expedite their individual level growth in exchange for real-world money. While the addition of these boosts comes as no shock, (given thatMarvel’s Avengershas been a cash register sincebeforeits launch), players are particularly chagrinned as it was previously statedthat paid boosts wouldnotfeature in the game.
TheMarvel’s AvengersRedditfeatures comments from players criticizing the move.
The paid XP boosts join a laundry list of disastrous marketing ideas that surround what should have easily been one of the most promising IPs of 2020. Even before launch, the ire of Marvel and gaming fans was raised with an abundance of piecemeal deals surrounding the title, including platform exclusive characters, a slew of microtransactions, and gimmicky marketing crossovers that tied in-game contentto internet providers and even chewing gum brands.
For the most part, the audience voted with its wallet, with Square Enix noting that launch sales forMarvel’s Avengerswerefar lower than expected. The game’s creative director, Shawn Escayg,left Crystal Dynamics in Aprilto return to their old stomping ground of Naughty Dog, and the epic comic-book adventure has continued to limp on throughout 2021, with one of its biggest draws, the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man,stillunreleasedone year onfrom his controversial reveal.
Marvel’s Avengers called out by players over “Pay to Win” update[ComicBook.com]
