XCOM series developer Firaxis revealed the brand-new release date of Marvel’s Midnight Suns with a flashy trailer set to Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” at Summer Game Fest 2022 yesterday. After previously being delayed before its original release set for March of this year, the game will make its way onto PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on Oct. 7.
The trailer shows off Marvel fan favorites like Spider-Man and Wolverine teaming up with anti-heroes like Blade and Ghost Rider to battle Venom and Hulk, who have been taken over and transformed by the game’s demonic villain, Lilith. Midnight Suns is a re-imagining of the 90’s comic book series of the same name — Midnight Sons — that delves into the occult aspects of the Marvel universe. The darker tone doesn’t seem to have dampened the studio’s flair for comedic dialogue, though, if Peter Parker’s anti-climactic allusion to Spider-Man 3 at the end of the trailer is any indication.
Midnight Suns’ gameplay is a unique take on the strategic turn-based combat of Firaxis’ XCOM games, adding RPG and deckbuilding elements. During missions, players must select heroes to take with them and customize each one’s deck of up to eight cards; during each turn of battle, each hero can select up to three cards (or moves) to execute. While they are at their base of operations, the player-character can also build their relationships with their fellow heroes through Mass Effect-style conversations, with each interaction affecting the final outcome of the game in a different way.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is currently available for pre-order on the game’s official website, and anyone who does will receive an exclusive skin for Doctor Strange. Anyone who also follows and likes/reposts the tweet below by 11:59 PT tonight will additionally receive the exclusive Spider-Man outfit shown off in the new trailer.