Crystal Dynamics has decided to finally shut downMarvel’s Avengersafter three years of updates. This decision comes after multiple years of controversy kept many Marvel fans away. It was never able to gain a massive playerbase or escape its controversy, and that preventedMarvel’s Avengersfrom being the big live-service superhero game that the developer wanted it to be. It is set to join all the other shuttered live-service games later this year, but not before Crystal Dynamics opens up its content to the masses.
The gaming industry seems committed in trying to capture the success of live-service titles likeFortnite, World of Warcraft, andLeague of Legends. This has led to many different titles competing for players' attentions, and the majority of them seem to never get that attention. Server shutdowns are becoming more prevalent as the industry continues to go online, and many of these games end without much fanfare. However,Marvel’s Avengersseems to be ending with a celebration, and that should be the norm as even more live-service games get shut down.
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Many Live-Service Games End with a Whimper
Throughout the years, many online games have failed to gain a consistent audience. Iflive service gamesdo not have an active playerbase spending money, then the developer cannot keep the game afloat. So, many developers end up shuttering their games and moving onto the next project. This means that the players who have sunk hours into these titles can see their progress go up in flames. Many of these titles become inaccessible, and the remaining players are left with nothing. Everyone moves on as if the game never existed, and another live-service game appears to fill the void.
The first two months of 2023 have already seen numerous live-service games shut down. PlatinumGamesBabylon’s Fallwill be shutting down at the end of February,Rumbleverseis shutting downafter being out for only six months,CrossfireXis closing down in May, Turtle Rock Studios is moving on fromBack 4 Blood, and Ubisoft’sKnockout Citywill close its doors after the next season. While some of these titles will still be playable, a lot of them will simply be turned off and forgotten about. The remaining players will be left with nothing.
Marvel’s Avengers is Ending on a High Note
Marvel’s Avengerswill also be closing its doorsat the end of the year, but Crystal Dynamicsis approaching this shut down a little differently. Instead of shutting the game down and leaving the remaining players with nothing, the studio is planning on showing its appreciation for the community. The final update will make every single in-game cosmetic item free for everyone. This means that every single outfit, takedown, emote, and nameplate will be unlocked. The microtransactions will be disabled, and all the game’s content will be available to fans.
Crystal Dynamics will end official support ofMarvel’s Avengersin September, but the game will remain playable for the foreseeable future. The studio could have shut down the servers immediately and went on to the next project, but it chose to thank the remaining players by giving them access to everything that the game has to offer. This is a nice change of pace from the other live-service closures, and some developers should imitate this approach.
Live-service closures will only get more prevalent as the industry continues to push for online games, and hopefully more developers will followCrystal Dynamics' example when they eventually pull the plug. Players dedicate large amounts of time to these different games, and they should not be left with nothing once the game shuts down. While the game may come to an end, players deserve some type of reward as they celebrate its final days.
Marvel’s Avengersis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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