Crystal Dynamics has been extremely transparent about how they’re going to aim to support their upcoming Marvel’s Avengers at launch and beyond, and in a new blog post, they’ve gone into detail about how the game’s Hero Challenge Cards are going to work for post-launch heroes, including the already-announced Hawkeye and, of course, the PlayStation exclusive character Spider-Man.
Although the heroes themselves and the stories and events they’ll bring with them remain totally free of charge, the developer has opted to lock the Hero Challenge Card behind a small fee of 1,000 credits. Credits can only be bought with real-world money and while you’ll earn a small amount from the base game’s six heroes, whose cards are all unlocked for the player at launch. It’s likely that, as the roster expands, you’ll need to spend a little if you’re chasing all of those fancy skins, nameplates, and signature takedowns.
For those wondering what’s exactly included in each hero’s Challenge Card, here’s a quick list as posted on Square Enix’s blog:
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- Rare Resource Bundle: Nanotubes, Nanites, Plasma, Catalyst
- Resource Bundle: Fragments & Upgrade Modules
- Upgrade Module Bundles: Upgrade Modules
- Exotic Resource Bundle: Polychoron & Uru
- Units
- Credits
- Hero Nameplates
- Team Nameplates
- Emotes
- Takedowns
- Outfits
“Remember, these rewards deliver fun in-game cosmetic enhancements and effects, but they do not provide a gameplay advantage,” the blog post reads. The post also makes a case that once you progress through the some-40 tiers of a hero’s card, you’ll earn back that 1,000 credit activation cost as well as all of the content within which “has a value of over 12,500 credits”.
The game releases for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on September 4, 2020, with a free upgrade to the next-gen console versions coming when available. Those who pre-order the PlayStation exclusive Digital Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition will be able to play the game on September 1st.
