Since its announcement and a tease by Bill Rosemann in June last year, fans have wondered whether Hawkeye would feature as a playable character in Marvel’s Avengers. Well, they need not wonder any longer. The archer will serve as Marvel’s Avenger’s first post-launch playable hero, adding to the base game’s six playable heroes. Better yet, the character will also launch with his own “in-depth story mission chain.”
Developer Crystal Dynamics shared the news in its July War Table stream, which went live earlier this afternoon. The stream also showcased Hawkeye’s look in a brand-new trailer. See the full broadcast below; talk of Hawkeye begins at the 40:45 mark.
Crystal Dynamics began work on its version of Hawkeye by combing through some of the characters best comics. Ultimately, the team settled on borrowing a few ideas from Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon. The 2013 tale by writer Matt Fraction and illustrator David Aja sees the self-made hero recruited by SHIELD to obtain incriminating evidence. It’ll be intriguing to see what Crystal Dynamics pulls from this street-level crime story.
Hawkeye’s story will showcase a narrative that is different from players experience in the main storyline. Furthermore, players will have the option to either go it alone or play Hawkeye’s content in co-op.
Several beta dates are planned throughout next month. PS4 players who preorder Marvel’s Avengers can take part in a beta that goes live on August 7th. The beta for PC and Xbox One preorders roll out the following week on August 14th. Open beta access for all PS4 users will be available that same day. Finally, an open beta across all platforms is slated for later in the month on August 21st.
Marvel’s Avengers hits stores in just over a month on September 4th for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One platforms. Customers who purchase a copy on current-gen hardware will receive a free upgrade to their respective console’s next-gen version.
