Your first weekend in Marvel’s Avengers, out tomorrow on PS4

It’s been over three years since Marvel’s Avengers was announced, and now it’s just around the corner (for those of you who didn’t get in on Early Access editions). We are super excited to share with you our Avengers vision and to play with you all! We couldn’t have done it without your support, feedback, and excitement. We celebrate our launch, with you, the fans. To hopefully make this final stretch a little more bearable, here are some tips and tricks to have you ready to hit the ground running at launch.

Don’t forget to level up your AI companions. They are important allies to aid you in the fight against AIM and future threats to come. Even if you play mostly multiplayer co-op with your friends, you’ll find that you’ll still need them later on. And if solo is more your style, you’ll benefit from having your companions be well-outfitted with the skills, outfits, and gear of your choice for your personal Avengers team playstyle. After all, each of your AI companions will use the abilities and gear you set for them. If you reach a difficult point in the game, try improving the gear of your companions so they can help your team.

Change can be a good thing! If you’re having too easy of a time, increase the difficulty and get a harder challenge and better rewards. The higher the difficulty, the more your gear choices will matter, so you’ll want to adjust it to what feels right for you. Similarly, don’t be afraid to take it down a notch if that would make the game more enjoyable — the game is about having your personal, fun-filled Super Hero experience.

Many rewards in War Zones are highlighted with a question mark that can be seen from afar. However, don’t get too used to that: not every reward is marked from a long distance in that fashion. Some treasures are hidden and will only show up when you’re nearby. Explore high and low through all the caves and buildings you can, because you never know where and what you might find like powerful gear that was right under your nose the entire time.

To use resources or to save them: a dilemma as old as gaming itself. Upgrading your gear will allow you to find higher level gear faster by making you more powerful and increasing your gear level. However, you may then find yourself short on materials if you find a really good drop. You’ll need to find a balance between the two. In doing so, consider if you’re planning to keep the gear for a while, or if you are progressing fast enough to find something more powerful soon. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Perks of gear you find so that it fits your playstyle. If you want a more powerful version of gear with your desired Perk, you may need to go searching for it, which is where War Zones come into play. A general gear tip: don’t be afraid to dismantle gear early on as you’ll undoubtedly run across more powerful gear as you progress.

There are many ways to play Marvel’s Avengers, even within the same Super Hero. Once you know your personal playstyle, try to focus on equipping gear that strengthens and synergizes with how you like to battle. That said, it’s never a bad idea to carry around a different toolkit for a different job. For example, if you typically use damage enhancing gear but have a set of defensive gear you can equip, a tough fight can become a lot easier! You can store gear in the helicarrier so it doesn’t take up space and can also access this gear once you’re in the Quinjet awaiting to launch a mission. Always keep an eye on mission modifiers to know what gear to take with you and when.

Whether you’re a veteran who’s been here from the very beginning, or if you’re a fresh face who just joined us recently: thank you for being on this journey with us. Getting here wouldn’t have been possible without the continued support of our Marvel fan community. Though launch is a huge milestone in our story, it’s not the destination — it’s the beginning. We hope to see you there with us as we keep moving forward towards an even better future!