It hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing for Marvel’s Avengers as far as their discerning fan base is concerned. The game suffered bit of backlash online after developers Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, along with publisher Square Enix, debuted the game for demo at this year’s E3. People weren’t thrilled with the changes to the appearance of some of pop culture’s most beloved superheroes, not really accounting for the fact that different actors are portraying five of the six Avengers via motion capture, or the fact that the Marvel’s Avengers game was a separate story created by a different team with their own vision.
In response to the complaints, Creative Director at Crystal Dynamics Shaun Escayg told IGN that the team would not be making changes to the core designs of the Avengers, but that they are “always listening to, and welcome feedback from the community,” adding that the game would likely undergo several rounds of polish before its 2020 release.
It looks like “polish” sometimes means making a few minor adjustments to the design of the characters overall, addressing some of the more meme-able complaints about the appearance of the Avengers. For Thor’s “Hero Week,” the game’s official Twitter account shared short video highlighting all the strengths and abilities of God of Thunder Thor and revealing a new hairstyle. He’s sporting a ponytail now, which many will agree is a step up from the loose, lifeless looking locks that made him look more like the depressed and unwashed Thor from this year’s blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. Chic, and practical too.
The video for Thor’s Hero Week also shows off a new alternate skin, with a cool-looking Nordic-inspired helmet. It’s possible that Crystal Dynamics changed Thor’s hair to prevent too much clipping or model errors with loose hair under helmets, and not because people were unhappy with Thor’s appearance. Either way, it does look better, and a wider variety of well-fitted cosmetics is sure to please.
Thor isn’t the only Avenger to get a mini-makeover. Natasha Romanoff, better known by Black Widow, was also featured by the game’s Twitter account with a Gameplay Video last week. Sharp-eyed viewers noted that Crystal Dynamics seems to have made several adjustments to her appearance too.
Black Widow’s hair looks the same as it did in the E3 presentation, but a side-by-side comparison helps make the differences to her face after Gamescom 2019 more apparent. It’s possible that it’s just a result of differences in the environmental lighting, but it also looks like Crystal Dynamics decided to give her a more camera-ready eye shape.
Marvel’s Avengers is scheduled to release on May 15th, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google’s new game streaming service Stadia. Check out mxdwn’s hands-on impressions of the E3 2019 demo here.