Fans of fighting were always going to scrutinize the roster of the hotly anticipated Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, so it’s not surprising that the sequel received a fair amount of criticism for leaving out some fan favorites when it launched in September. The next batch of downloadable fighters doesn’t include any series mainstays like Wolverine or Doctor Doom, but does add some iconic comic book characters including Venom, Black Widow, and the Winter Soldier, who will all head to the game December 5.
Unsurprisingly, this new wave of content continues the game’s focus on characters that are a big part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Venom seems likely to be confined to Sony’s big-screen adaptations of the Spider-Man franchise, both Black Widow and the Winter Soldier are set to be a big part of next year’s Avengers: Infinity War.
A blog post on the Capcom Unity website offered up some information about how each character will play. Winter Solider will make use of his cybernetic arm to employ a technique dubbed Metal Shield, which will allow him to ignore hits and avoid damage, at the cost of limiting his moveset for a period of time.
Venom retains some of his signature moves from the last time he appeared in the franchise – Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, released in 2000 – while also boasting some new movement options. Venom Glide is a maneuver similar to Spider-Man’s web zip that allows the villain to whip across the screen in six directions.
Finally, Black Widow is built around a projectile-heavy fighting style that is sure to leave opponents guessing. An arsenal that includes sticky bombs and nerve gas is complemented by a unique evasive action that can quickly put some space between you and your adversary.
These three characters are available as part of the 2017 Character Pass, which costs $29.99 and also offers access to Black Panther, Sigma, and Monster Hunter, three fighters that were added to the game in October 2017. These combatants can also be purchased individually at $7.99 a pop, according to a report from Polygon. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is available now for the PlayStation 4 Xbox One