It’s the big Marvel’s Avengers update fans have been waiting for. After being pushed back from its original release date, the “Taking Aim” expansion is now live on all available platforms, completely free.
Marvel’s Avengers patch 1.17 (officially referred to as version 1.4.0) is ready to download, it’s biggest addition to the co-op brawler being a new playable hero: Kate Bishop. For those who don’t pay much attention to the Marvel comics or MCU blockbusters, Kate Bishop is the protégé of underrated bow-slinging Avengers, Hawkeye.
Developer Crystal Dynamics have confirmed that you won’t need to have finished the Avengers campaign to play as the archer’s apprentice. Launch into the game and you’ll be met with a pop-up that directs you to the new Kate Bishop content. If you somehow miss this then you can find her missions via the Avengers Initiative menu.
Although naturally adept at long ranged combat, Kate possesses a robust suite of melee and traversal powers too. Here’s a taste of what she can do in the hands of Avengers players:
- Tranquilizer Arrow: Quickly switch to the bow and fire an arrow that applies the Snared debuff. While affected by the debuff, enemies have reduced impact resistance, making them easier to interrupt.
- Demolition Blast Arrow: Enabled after any Signature or Power Attack, fire an arrow that attaches to surfaces with a time delayed, proximity explosive that launches targets into the air when detonated.
- Warp Arrow: Fire an arrow that teleports the wielder on impact. Teleporting to the arrow creates a quantum explosion that deals damage to all nearby enemies, launching them into the air. The teleport effect can also be triggered while the arrow is in flight.
- Blade Dancer’s Strike: A melee combo move that breaks through enemy defenses, slamming them into the ground and leaving them vulnerable to additional attacks.
- Blink: Teleport towards nearby ledges or poles. Teleporting to a pole will trigger a swing, while teleporting to ledges will trigger a quick vault over or onto nearby ledges.
- Smoke Screen Arrow: Perform an evasive bow attack, firing an arrow that creates a cloud of smoke and inflicts additional Stun damage to enemies inside the smoke
- Decoy: Throw a miniature hologram projector that displays a hologram of the wielder, distracting enemies from attacking actual Heroes. Through an infusion of quantum energy, the projector can create actual Quantum Arrows that it shoots at nearby targets, providing additional offensive support.
Of course, Avengers update 1.17 comes packed with a multitude of fixes and improvements, ironing out issues flagged by the community. Click the tab below to get the full patch notes.
Marvel's Avengers Update 1.17 Patch Notes
New Features
- New Hero: Kate Bishop (No additional cost) – Please see our “Everything You Need To Know About Kate Bishop” blog for more information on how to unlock Kate along with an explanation on her abilities.
- New Operation: Marvel’s Avengers Operation: Kate Bishop – Taking Aim (No additional cost).
- Please Note: Hero Operations introduced with Kate Bishop: Taking Aim do not support random matchmaking. However, players can still invite their friends to play the Operation in co-op mode by doing so in an outpost or the Quinjet.
- New Cosmetics: Kate Bishop Challenge Card.
- Ability to enable and disable Takedowns.
- High Contrast Mode: Available in the settings menu!
Reassemble Campaign & Avengers Initiative
- Fixed a rare issue where the cinematic would freeze during the transition from Hulk to Captain America on The Light that Failed.
- Fixed an issue where some missions would sometimes point to multiple regions on the War Table.
- Fixed an issue where Alisande Morales would be missing from Substation Zero.
- Fixed an issue where Kamala Khan would fall during the Hulk chase sequence in The Road Back.
- Fixed an issue where during the game finale, companions would not attempt to revive a fallen Captain America.
- Fixed an issue where companions were left behind after players loaded into the match against Taskmaster.
- Fixed an issue that would cause companions to get locked behind doors.
- The second wave of drones now properly enters the room in House Call.
- Fixed an issue where Captain America would not speak in end cinematic of Global Presence.
- Mistaken Identity – Morales now plays correct VO when returning to outpost.
- Fixed a rare issue on Finding Olympia where Hulk jumps up and stands above Abomination, preventing him from fighting Abomination, and blocking progress.
- Fixed an issue where switching Profile from the Main Menu to an account without a save prevents a new Campaign from progressing through A-Day.
- Fixed an issue where the user could crash upon repeatedly selecting faction missions.
- Fixed a rare issue where some users could not interact with their War Table.
- Fixed an issue where Hulk as a companion would sometimes be missing when in a Warzone.
- Fixed multiple instances of characters becoming stuck in the terrain.
- Fixed multiple instances of players, companions and NPCs going out of world.
- Addressed various crash and black screen issues.
Art & Animations
- Fixed Thor’s “Unworthy outfit” incorrectly featuring his long hair.
Multiplayer & Matchmaking
- Fixed an issue where in Tachyon Rift: Along Came a Spider, the mission failed for remaining players if the host would change after completing the first objective.
- Fixed an issue where the Tachyon Rift timer sometimes reappeared in the Quinjet.
- Fixed an issue in Rocket’s Red Glare where Kamala’s hits on yellow targets before entering the elevator didn’t always register.
- Fixed an issue where the Tachyon: Breakout mission showed more than one region pinpointed on the War Table.
- Fixed an issue where issues would arise with AI companions in elevators when the host would change.
- Fixed a rare issue that would result in a prolonged black screen following a mission’s completion.
- Fixed an issue where players are sometimes facing the wrong direction upon checkpoint reload.
- Fixed a rare multiplayer issue where after reloading a checkpoint, previously opened/smashed doors would appear closed.
- Fixed an issue where a former host is unable to matchmake again with a Strike Team they just left if the Strike Team was formed via invites/joining.
- Player matchmaking no longer breaks for group members when the host player closes the game after failing a mission.
- Multiplayer stability improvements.
User Interface
- MODOK codex entry now properly unlocks when players defeat him.
- Codex “Manhattan Evacuation Zone” can now be acquired when completing Mayhem Over Manhattan.
- Fixed an issue where icons to smash walls/doors would sometimes not show up.
- Fixed various High Contrast Mode UI issues.
- Removed the ability to ping while in flight to avoid erroneous marker placements.
- Marketplace items in the locked section let you purchase them from that screen without having to go to the marketplace.
- Updated the visual messaging of the act of upgrading and dismantling an item to help reduce mistakes and broadcast what action is happening.
- Stronger visual messaging about the Operation mission icons on the war table and in UI elements (its pulses).
- Various text and subtitle fixes.
- Fixed various language and localization text/issues.
Gear, Challenge, & Rewards
- Fixed a crash that would occur when swapping gear at the War Table.
- Fixed issue where loot rewards were inconsistent with required Power Level required for the mission.
- Threat Sector loot tables have better rewards at higher Power Level.
- Hives give more focused rewards and can include named sets of Epic Gear.
- Minor adjustments to existing challenge completion amounts.
It’s fair to say that Marvel’s Avengers hasn’t made as huge of an impact as publisher Square Enix were hoping for. A huge amount of money has been lost though they’re confident future updates and the addition of more missions and characters will help it succeed in the long run. It’s a live service game, after all.
Source: Marvel’s Avengers
