Square Enix honors Chadwick Boseman during Marvel’s Avengers stream

By Don Reisinger Published April 25, 2023

Square Enix had other plans for its Marvel’s Avengers stream on Tuesday, but following the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman, the company called an audible.

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At the start of its stream, Square Enix flashed a message that said the company was “shocked and saddened by Chadwick Boseman’s passing” and asked participants in the stream to join the studio in a moment of silence.

In a subsequent message, Square Enix said that “out of respect for a fallen true hero, we have altered what we are showing today.” It then displayed the Black Panther logo before it got into the rest of the event.

Although Square Enix didn’t say what it altered, the stream’s viewers suggested the company had planned to announce Black Panther as a playable Marvel’s Avengers character. Instead, Square Enix announced that Kate Bishop would be added after the game’s launch, and Hawkeye would become a playable character later this year.

The world was stunned by Boseman’s death last week at the age of 43. The actor, who was best known for his roles as the Black Panther, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall, died of colon cancer. Boseman, whose work had been lauded by critics and viewers around the world, hadn’t revealed his diagnosis, making the announcement an even bigger shock. A tweet announcing his passing has since become the most-liked tweet in Twitter’s history.

Marvel’s Avengers will launch on current-generation consoles and Google Stadia on Friday. The game is set in the Marvel universe, and the story begins five years after a deadly tragedy. Now, the world is being threatened by the game’s enemy A.I.M, and players need to assume the role of Marvel’s Avengers to save the world. Square Enix, which has designed the game alongside Crystal Dynamics, said that it will also be available on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 after those consoles launch later this year.

Square Enix didn’t say when Black Panther may finally land in Marvel’s Avengers, but if the reports are accurate and the studio already had plans to add Black Panther to the game, it may not be long.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…

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Square Enix sells Tomb Raider, Deus Ex developers to Embracer

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Square Enix has offloaded its North American operations as it announced the sale of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal to Embracer Group today. The deal also nets Embracer Group over 50 notable franchises such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain.
Crystal Dynamics is best known for its work on the Tomb Raider franchise, though it recently released the tumultuous live service Marvel's Avengers game. Eidos Montreal is behind series like Deus Ex and recently garnered critical acclaim following the release of Guardians of the Galaxy. Square Enix Montreal is a mobile-focused studio that makes games like Lara Croft GO and Hitman Sniper.

Embracer Group is purchasing the three studios, which employ over 1,100 developers, for only $300 million. The status of certain series like Sleeping Dogs and Gex, as well as the status of the Marvel deal that spawned Marvel's Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy game, are still in question. As of now, the only announced game from these studios is a brand-new Tomb Raider that will run on Unreal Engine 5, though the related press release says Crystal Dynamics is "actively working on several AAA projects."
Meanwhile, the announcement says the Eidos Montreal "is working on a host of AAA projects including both new releases from beloved franchises and original IP," and that Square Enix Montreal "will continue to develop and operate memorable mobile games based on AAA IP." Embracer is interested in these studios' potential to make single-player AAA titles for PC, consoles, and mobile and all of the classic series that come with them.
While it's not the best-known gaming company, Embracer Group is much bigger than you might think. This European holding company owns a massive range of developers and publishers from around the world. THQ Nordic, Deep Silver, Gearbox, Saber Interactive, Coffee Stain, and all of those studios' subsidiaries are owned by Embracer. The company even has holdings outside of video games, as it recently acquired Asmodee and Dark Horse.
These former Square Enix studios and the franchises that come with them will simply beef up the company's already massive offerings. Embracer and Square Enix expect this deal to close between July and September 2022.

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Marvel’s Avengers won’t give Spider-Man his own story missions

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After over a year from being initially announced, Spider-Man will be available as a playable character for PlayStation players in Marvel's Avengers on November 30. There will also be a new event available for players as well as the game's first raid: The Discordant Sound.

Spider-Man was first announced for Marvel's Avengers back in August 2020. After that announcement, we got very little information about the wallcrawler. Crystal Dynamics' road map for Marvel's Avengers earlier this year was the only other time players were officially told that Spider-Man was still on his way to the game. Alongside the new hero, players also have a new event that they can play. The With Great Power Hero Event will act as a story campaign for Spider-Man and can be used as an introduction to the hero's unique playstyle.