Marvel's Avengers, developed by Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics, was a massive project that was in development for years, with Square Enix counting on it to be the next big live service hit. But even though Marvel's Avengers sold millions of copies in a short amount of time, it was unable to recoup its development costs, with Square Enix reportedly losing millions of dollars on the game. Marvel's Avengers' sales outperformed many other popular titles, but that doesn't mean much when it still didn't sell enough to be profitable.

Marvel's Avengers' weak sales have translated into a problem where the game has a small, ever-dwindling community. Mere weeks after the game launched on Steam, and it was already struggling to keep players engaged on the platform. While many reviewers praised the main campaign as being fun to play, it seems many others were not impressed with Marvel's Avengers' endgame content, finding the gameplay loop unsatisfying and repetitive.

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Marvel's Avengers has already had a tough time retaining players, let alone bringing in new ones. And that's the main reason why the upcoming Marvel's Avengers War Table on February 16 needs to go big because the developers have to not only keep existing players interested in the game, but also convince those that have yet to play it to pick it up.

Here is how the developers may very well accomplish that goal.

The main thing on display during the Marvel's Avengers War Table on February 16 will be the upcoming Hawkeye DLC. Story-wise, the Hawkeye DLC will pick up where the Kate Bishop Taking A.I.M. expansion left off, and will feature Hawkeye as the main playable character. Like the other heroes on the roster, Hawkeye will have his own unique move-set, though there is already some concern that he may be too similar to Kate Bishop.

Another concern that Marvel's Avengers fans may have is the Hawkeye missions being too similar to the multiplayer War Zone missions from the base game. Most of the Kate Bishop DLC featured these kinds of missions and objectives, which disappointed fans who were hoping for content more similar to the single player story missions. If the Hawkeye DLC doesn't address these concerns, it could be dead right out of the gate.

With that in mind, Crystal Dynamics could go a long way in winning players over if it makes it clear that the Hawkeye DLC will be something much different than the Kate Bishop expansion. If it features unique missions that have more in common with the Avengers single player story, that will be a big step in the right direction. And if the War Table showcases Hawkeye's abilities and reassures fans that he's not just a re-skin of Kate Bishop, that may also go a long way in getting players excited for the new DLC.

There is also concern that the villain Maestro, who has been teased for the Hawkeye DLC, will be too similar to the Hulk, so hopefully that's addressed during the Marvel's Avengers War Table presentation as well.

While the Marvel's Avengers War Table on February 16 will be primarily focused on showcasing the Hawkeye DLC, it's also expected to give fans their first look at how the game looks and runs on next-generation platforms. Marvel's Avengers was originally meant to be a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X before it was delayed, so it will be interesting to see how the next-gen versions look with a few extra months of development time.

Gamers on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X may represent a unique opportunity for Crystal Dynamics to bring new players into the fold. There aren't a lot of new releases for either PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X for the next couple of months, so if Marvel's Avengers on next-gen is impressive-looking and is able to release fairly quickly after the War Table presentation, then it could get a second chance.

Not only that, but the Marvel's Avengers PS5 and Xbox Series X versions could also convince those who haven't played the game since launch to give it another look. Lapsed Marvel's Avengers players could be lured back in by impressive PS5 and Xbox Series X features, and maybe they'll be impressed enough by the Hawkeye DLC to stick with the game for the long-term.

A deep dive into the Hawkeye DLC and a look at the next-generation versions of Marvel's Avengers are guaranteed for the February 16 War Table, but Crystal Dynamics could elevate the presentation by also teasing future content for the game. This could include a look at the previously-teased Black Panther DLC. The developer may want to keep the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man DLC on the backburner for now, though, as that has potential to alienate the game's fans on other platforms.

Marvel's Avengers is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.

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