Marvel’s Avengers is about to get some changes to its XP and leveling system, but perhaps not in the way that you might have hoped. Crystal Dynamics is actually going to be stretching out the leveling curve, making it more difficult to grind out those higher levels. Beyond “about level 25,” the XP requirements for future levels up to 50 will steadily increase. Crystal Dynamics says this is because “skill points [are] currently being rewarded too fast,” and posits that this “may be confusing and overwhelming to newer players.” They also say the goal is to make each new level up and skill point decision feel more meaningful. The change will be made in an update on March 18th.
If you already have characters at 50, don’t worry. This won’t affect them. But the blog post warns that if you want to level your character s to 50 quickly, “take this time to do so before the update on March 18.” Multiple people are pointing out how bizarre this update seems to be; a largely negative change to the game that people aren’t asking for, while also urging players to max out their character levels on the faster XP system before the update in two weeks.
Marvel’s Avengers, a service game that has struggled to keep players, is deciding to add… more grind? And make leveling harder? And the developers are warning players to get in their levels now? What is going on with this game??? https://t.co/LyYIvPLyuh pic.twitter.com/ikkM6wwBYi
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) March 4, 2021
Wouldn’t you want me doing this AFTER I’ve returned to the game for Clint and downloaded the prettier version?
— Greg Miller (@GameOverGreggy) March 4, 2021
The leveling update lands the same day as free character Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) is added to the game, alongside the Marvel’s Avengers PS5 version finally releasing, meaning that players looking to level the bow and arrow master will face the barricades of this new slower leveling curve. And if you don’t have other characters maxed, they’ll be hit by this too.
The blog post also talks about changes to cosmetics to make them more targeted, as opposed to randomized. While this should theoretically add a better chase to the game, it still doesn’t solve the myriad loot issues that Marvel’s Avengers has right now which doesn’t promote replaying the game much. A live service game released just last year, it hasn’t had more than 1000 concurrent players on Steam in over two months, and has recently and regularly fallen well below 500. Compare that with Destiny 2, whose 30-day average is nearly at 60,000. It remains to be seen if this announcement gives Marvel’s Avengers the surge in players it seems like it is intended to.
Despite hinging on one of the biggest pop culture behemoths of the last decade, Marvel’s Avengers has had an uphill climb. Our review called it a civil war of two games: one that had a fantastic story and campaign, and the other that struggled to convince us to stay around as a live service game. We criticized the leveling process in the post-game as too slow, because getting a character’s fully maxed out kit at 50 was what made them truly fun and unique to play. Separating players from that even further is the last thing Marvel’s Avengers needs right now. New characters have so far done little to add new players or keep them around long term, with people wanting a lot more out of the game than an extended grind.
What do you think of the changes to Marvel’s Avengers? Do you think the current leveling speed is “confusing and overwhelming,” or is this change an artificial grind that doesn’t fix Avengers‘ biggest issues? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Square Enix]
