Marvel’s Midnight Suns are the next game from the XCOM team
The next game in the XCOM series is set in an obscure corner within Marvel Comics’ universe. The game, titled Marvel’s Midnight Suns, is developed by Jake Solomon, XCOM 2 and XCOM 3.
This story is all about the antiheroes and heroes, many of which have never been together in any Marvel storyline. Firaxis confirmed that Iron Man and Captain America, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange, Blade and Magik would all be playable. Firaxis also confirm Robbie Reyes, Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and Nico Minoru. There will be 13 allied heroes, drawn from the Avengers and X-Men, as well as Runaways.
2K Games, the publisher, revealed Wednesday at Gamescom 2021 that Marvel’s Midnight Suns will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC (via Steam, the Epic Game Store), Xbox One and Xbox Series X in February 2022.
The Rise of the Midnight Sons arc began in 1992 with a series of Ghost Rider comics. It features a rogues gallery featuring anti-heroes including Dr Frank Drake, Morbius and Blade must work together to stop Lilith, Mother Of Demons, from taking over the world. Solomon said to Polygon that it was his favourite arc in Marvel Comics’ history. However, the game itself was not his idea.
Solomon stated that Marvel reached out after XCOM 2 was made. “I had a call to the Marvel team. There was an executive vice president of Marvel on the call. They had very specific feedback regarding [that game’s] ending mission. A lot of people started chiming into the call, and I was like, these guys really are big fans. They understood immediately what kind of games they made.”
Solomon stated that the team had to discard everything from the past during the design of the game.
Solomon stated that there are no mechanics between XCOM, the Midnight Suns and Solomon.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns will see players take on The Hunter, a brand-new character created with Marvel Comics. The Hunter will act as an intermediary between the player and The Hunter. They can be fully customizable in appearance and combat abilities. Solomon stated that the player has over 40 superpowers. These range from light (which mirrors the most popular superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America) to dark (more occult antiheroes like Ghost Rider and Blade).
With three other heroes, players will take part in turn-based missions. Their skills and those of their compatriots will increase and improve over time. The biggest departure from the XCOM franchise is how these skills are developed. Players will be free to explore The Abbey and its surroundings between missions. Solomon stated that players would explore the area in third-person and use their time to build relationships with other heroes.
“Robbie Reyes is the new Ghost Rider. He may be interested in playing video games. Captain Marvel might want to spar with you. Solomon suggested that Tony Stark might want to play cards. You choose to spend time with them, how you talk with them and what gifts you give them. You can also join social clubs in The Abbey, which will impact your friendships with heroes. […] These clubs are lighthearted, but the story isn’t too dark.
Players are the only ones who can stop Lilith and her minions from destroying the world as the newly resurrected Hunter. Despite the high stakes, permadeath will not be included in the game — a departure from the classic XCOM formula…
