Marvel's Avengers fans mourn the "misunderstood" superhero game as its final update goes live

Marvel's Avengers
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Marvel's Avengers players are pouring one out for Crystal Dynamics' ensemble superhero game as its final major update goes live on all platforms.

Update 2.8, which is live now, is basically a free-for-all for Marvel's Avengers faithfuls who still plan on playing now that the game has essentially been relegated to maintenance-only status. 

Crystal Dynamics says the update "unlocks nearly all Marketplace items for free, in addition to adding final buffs that will make Heroes feel more powerful as you continue to enjoy Marvel's Avengers in the future!"

Here you can read the studio's detailed plans for Marvel's Avengers' "end-of-support" transition period, which will last until September 30, at which point all official support will cease. In addition to all of the outfits, emotes, takedowns, and nameplates that'll be automatically added to your Hero Card after you install version 2.8, Crystal Dynamics is also giving all players who have at least one achievement by April 1 Iron Man's Variable Threat Response battle suit.

The vibe in the community in the wake of Marvel's Avengers' final update is generally bittersweet. For all its flaws, the game has its diehards, many of whom see Marvel's Avengers as a missed opportunity that once held a lot of potential. 

Others are simply thankful for what they consider to be a "misunderstood" game.

Others still say that, with almost everything being free and characters seeing significant buffs, now might be the time for Marvel's Avengers naysayers to give it a shot at long last. 

For those in the latter camp considering checking out Marvel's Avengers for the first time, it shouldn't be too hard to find it at a discounted price through a reputable retailer, but if you're a Game Pass subscriber, you don't have to pay anything extra to play it there.

Looking ahead, here are some upcoming Marvel games to be excited for.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
The Fantastic Four seen in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 'Eternal Night Falls' trailer.
Marvel Rivals is more popular than ever, soaring past 570K Steam players to set a new record as Season 1 launches
The Fantastic Four seen running towards Dracula in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 'Eternal Night Falls' trailer.
Marvel Rivals season 1 has "double the playable content of a regular season" and adds maps, heroes, balance changes, and more
Magik slashes with her magic sword while Black Panther pops out of one of her portals in Marvel Rivals
Days after dev layoffs, NetEase confirms Marvel Rivals has surpassed 40 million players, celebrates the company "delivering groundbreaking gaming experiences"
A screenshot of Human Torch in his Marvel Rivals reveal trailer
New Marvel Rivals balance patch only tweaks "a handful of heroes" to maintain the "rich diversity" of the shooter's current strategies, but it also includes a much-needed buff for Human Torch
The Fantastic Four seen running towards Dracula in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 'Eternal Night Falls' trailer.
It's time to stop calling Marvel Rivals an Overwatch 2 killer now that its features have already surpassed it
Cropped Marvel Snap key art showing Wolverine, America Chavez, and Venom.
In a perfect Avengers homage, Marvel Snap has blipped back into existence in the US, and it's looking for a new publisher "to make sure this NEVER happens again"
Latest in Action
Yasuke and Naoe ready to fight on the Assassin's Creed Shadows On The Radar thumbnail
On The Radar: Assassin's Creed Shadows coverage hub
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe assassinating target with Tanto skill
Assassin's Creed Shadows' first title update is a hotfix with three lines of patch notes and a download size up to 9GB
Assassin's Creed Shadows Nishinomiya Shrine
All Nishinomiya Shrine locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows riddles Naoe answers
All Assassin's Creed Shadows riddle answers for NPC encounters
GTA 6 trailer screenshots showing lucia in an interview room
"GTA 6 is basically a huge meteor, and we will just stay clear of the blast zone": Publishers are in a frenzy over when to release their games to avoid Rockstar
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows has been the series' best launch since Valhalla, but that was "a perfect storm we may never see again," says Ubisoft
Latest in News
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even after all this time
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us episode 3
The Last of Us season 2 showrunners tease a "gorgeous" episode akin to season 1’s Emmy-nominated Bill and Frank story: "Just you wait"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite releasing exactly zero new games, CD Projekt bagged $120 million in profit for 2024 – the Witcher and Cyberpunk studio's third-best result ever
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Batman looking over the city during Batman: Arkham City, one of the best PS3 games.
The PS2 Batman Begins game was considered such a "disaster" that Christopher Nolan turned down a Dark Knight-inspired game