We’ve assembled all the available info about Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game.
Though it’s been two years since The Avengers Project from developers Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal and publisher Square Enix was announced, it feels like updates on the game have been few and far between. Still, even though news has been infrequent, there’s still quite a bit about this mysterious project we’ve been able to assemble.
Here’s everything we know about the Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal Avengers game, from its initial announcement to who’s working on the project.
The Announcement
In January 2017, Square Enix and Marvel announced a “multi-game partnership” that would begin with an Avengers game made by Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics and Deus Ex developer Eidos Montreal. At the time, it was due to be released in 2018, though this timeframe has since come and gone.
The announcement was accompanied by a brief teaser that showed iconic Marvel images, including Captain America’s shield, a busted containment unit and shattered glasses suggesting a loose Hulk, Thor’s hammer Mjölnir in a pile of rubble and a malfunctioning Iron Man glove. An accompanying voiceover suggested the group has been separated, but they will soon reassemble.
No official name was given for the game, simply “The Avengers Project.”
Developer Updates
Shortly after the announcement, reports indicated the Deus Ex franchise had been put on hold after Mankind Divided failed to meet sales expectations. Inside sources claimed developer Eidos Montreal moved the majority of its efforts towards helping Crystal Dynamics develop the then-upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Reports also said Eidos Montreal would lead development on a Guardians of the Galaxy game in conjunction with its work on The Avengers Project.
In January 2018, Crystal Dynamics announced former Uncharted director Shaun Escayg and Dead Space producer Stephen Barry joined The Avengers Project. Escayg joined the team as creative director, while Barry came on as director of production.
In August 2018, Crystal Dynamics revealed it expanded with key new hires at its Redwood Shores headquarters, and the creation of a new Bellvue, Washington satellite studio called Crystal Northwest. This new satellite studio was already up and running at the time of the announcement, and its initial intention was to develop technology for The Avengers Project, led by industry veterans Chad Queen and James Loe.
Gameplay and Story
Back in September 2017, the first details on The Avengers Project’s gameplay emerged. Alleged job postings for the game indicated it would feature social and shared online play, and would resemble a “3rd person cover based action adventure game.”
During DICE 2017, IGN spoke with Marvel Games creative director Bill Rosemann, who revealed that upcoming Marvel games, including The Avengers Project, wouldn’t be held to MCU canon, saying “We want to give [developers] freedom to tell their story and we want to make it an original story.”
Release Date and Future Updates
While no release date has been set for The Avengers Project, we think it may very well be one of the next generation games that’s already in development for PlayStation 5.
There’s no certainty on when we’ll receive the next round of info about the game, though Square Enix recently revealed its E3 2019 press conference date and time – Monday, June 10 at 6pm PT/9pm ET. This prime slot used to belong to Sony, and though there’s no guarantee The Avengers Project will appear at this special broadcast, Square Enix did promise to show an “exciting line up of titles.”
Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
