The final update to Marvel's Avengers (opens in new tab) has been released, giving players full access to "almost all" of the game's content, including costumes, emotes, takedowns and nameplates.

The end of Marvel's Avengers came in January, when Crystal Dynamics threw in the towel after more than two years of trying and failing to find a sustainable audience. We said in the first preview in 2019 (opens in new tab) that it "didn't feel like a superhero," and it didn't get much better from there: fans were baffled by the release of platform-only content (opens in new tab), beta testing in 2020 left us out in the cold (opens in new By the end of 2021, Square Enix admitted that the release was "disappointing" (open in new tab).

Marvel's Avengers held up from there, but in January of this year, Crystal Dynamics surrendered to the inevitable (opens in new tab) and announced it would end "official support" on September 30, after the 2.8 update scheduled for March 31. Fortunately, this is not the end: single-player and multiplayer modes will remain accessible indefinitely, but Crystal Dynamics warns that it cannot guarantee that it will be able to "address any issues that arise due to unforeseen circumstances" after that date.

The biggest change in the 2.8 update is the unlocking of Marvel's Avengers Marketplace, the repository for all optional cosmetic items in the game. Here's what this means for players:

For players, it's both a victory and a defeat. The player now has an array of superhero items at his fingertips, but also the cold certainty that he will get no more. As a result, some express gratitude for the game and disappointment at its demise, while others are angry that the promised features and gameplay changes have not been made.

Marvel's Avengers will be removed from the digital storefront on September 30, when official support ends; it is still full price ($40/£30/€40) on Steam (opens in new tab), but on the Humble Store (opens in new tab) it will be available on April 6 Steam keys are on sale for $10 until April 6.

Along with unlocking the "Marvel's Avengers" marketplace, the 2.8 update also includes numerous fixes and gameplay tweaks. The full patch notes are as follows.