You can't play the Marvel Avengers campaign with your friends, it's single-player only

Marvel Avengers campaign

The Marvel Avengers reveal has been a little, shall we say, messy. Following its appearance at the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference it still wasn't exactly clear what sort of game it actually was. Now we know: the game has a core single player storyline that you'll be playing alone, jumping between different Avengers automatically as the story and action necessitates it. 

Crystal Dynamics, best known for its work on the Tomb Raider franchise, has crafted a traditional single-player experience to lead Marvel's Avengers. Speaking to IGN, Crystal Dynamics confirmed that these missions have been scripted and structured in the same way that say Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Uncharted 4 might be. 

The game will indeed feature four-player co-op, though - as you push through the campaign you will unlock extra side missions, and it's here where the co-operative elements of the game will be introduced. In these missions you'll be able to choose which Avenger you want to play as before then joining up with friends to tackle the objective. It has also been confirmed that if you aren't interested in multiplayer, you can indeed play through the entire campaign – and these optional side missions – offline, should you want to.

Given Marvel's Avengers release date is set for May 15, 2020, there's still plenty of time for Crystal Dynamics to showcase its upcoming title and get in front of some of the biggest questions surrounding the game. Of course, given that the studio only showed off the single-player behind closed doors at E3 2019, we still have little concrete info on how the multiplayer/co-operative elements will actually function. Here's hoping we get some clarification sooner rather than later.

Josh West
Editor-in-Chief, 12DOVE

Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of 12DOVE. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.

Latest in Action
Rift Apart
Retiring Insomniac boss says developers should still tackle new genres, but it's much riskier these days due to time and money
Dollman being buckled into a seat in Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima left "a number of clues" in the new Death Stranding 2 trailer, including hints of a day/night cycle
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Ubisoft shareholder plans protest in response to mismanagement, Assassin's Creed Shadows delays, and alleged acquisition talks with Microsoft and EA
Key art for Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered showing Shay Patrick Cormac in a black and red outfit that's a cross between Assassin and Templar armor, with his ship The Morrigan behind him
Assassin's Creed Shadows can wait – I spent 40 hours mopping up the map in the one game in the series everyone skipped
GTA 3 Mobile screenshot showing claude running away from police near a casino
The fan-made Dreamcast version of GTA 3 is looking way better in the latest look, introducing tech that "would’ve previously been a slideshow"
The titular Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2
Devil May Cry and Bayonetta veteran Hideki Kamiya is still leaning on Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's wisdom at new studio Clovers: "I have always made decisions based on his teachings"
Latest in News
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's New Thunderbolts* comic steals the MCU's asterisk, and the reason why is just as big of a mystery
Pokemon Go players brace for the worst as Niantic is sold off for $3.5 billion: "This game is entering its death knell"
Stamp PSP
A 16-year-old pitch for a newly discovered first-party PSP game has me mourning the death of PlayStation's Japan Studio all over again
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"