Marvel’s Avengers next update will soon add The Winter Soldier to its roster, coinciding with the arrival of the long-awaited Cloning Labs Omega-Level Threat. The news was initially leaked into the community but Crystal Dynamics quickly confirmed it with an official announcement so folks could get accurate information.
The last time we heard from Crystal Dynamics about the Winter Soldier was around August when they teased what’s coming up next after the recently added Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor. Now we have a definite date on when he joins Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the fight against AIM.
To bring life to the character, Crystal Dynamics has tapped actor Scott Porter to voice Cap’s old sidekick: James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes, The Winter Soldier. Porter is mostly known for his role as Jason Street in Friday Night Lights, but his most recent work is as Heimdall on the PlayStation exclusive God of War Ragnarök.
Porter is no stranger to the role of Bucky, though. He’s voiced the character before for Lego Marvel’s and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. Other Marvel productions he’s worked on include Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order as Star-Lord and on Marvel Heroes as Cyclops.
As for gameplay, the Winter Soldier will be an “assault-focused hero” designed to deal damage to enemies in a variety of ways, whether it be as a ranged marksman, to an expert close quarters combatant, or to just a flat out deadly super-soldier. While players may find that his move set echoes those of his training partners like Captain America and Black Widow, his skill flow with his cybernetic enhancements and new animations make him feel unique in his own way.
Aside from a new skill tree and heroic abilities, the Winter Soldier will launch with his own heroic mission chain that sees him being helped by the Avengers in regaining his confidence in his capacity to do good as well as dealing with the trauma inflicted on him by his captors.
Update 2.7 will also include the new Cloning Labs Omega-Level Threat, where Monica, the Scientist Supreme, has found a way to revive MODOK, but was unable to bring him under her control. MODOK takes over AIM’s Cloning Labs, which houses some of the Avenger’s most feared villains, and intends to use it to destroy the Avengers.
The newest Omega-Level Threat is an end-game challenge that will require teams to have a power level of 175 to enter, and will reward new gear as well as higher-level gear, with a power-level cap increase of 185. This new activity was designed to push a team of four high-level heroes and is not for the faint of heart.
The Winter Soldier will arrive in Marvel’s Avengers as part of Update 2.7, which launches on the 29th of November.