Square Enix has confirmed Guardians of the Galaxy will not include any microtransactions, nor will it be getting any DLC.
Square Enix's E3 presentation was one of the most anticipated of the entire weekend, and it didn't disappoint. Well, it didn't for some people. One of the biggest takeaways from it was that the rumors are true. Rather than shy away from making Marvel games following the ongoing work-in-progress that is Marvel's Avengers, Square is diving in headfirst and releasing a Guardians of the Galaxy game later this year.
What Square and Eidos Montreal, which is also working on the game, clearly wants people to know its Guardians game will not be following in Avengers' footsteps. Players will assume the role of Star-Lord and embark on a single-player story. No switching characters, no live service, and as has been revealed since the game's announcement, no DLC or microtransactions.
Guardians' narrative director Mary DeMarle confirmed the extra information to Stevivor after the presentation. "It’s very important that on day one when players get this game, they can have access to everything there is about this game and to experience it," DeMarle explained. "They can get all of the costumes or outfits that are available, they can find all the abilities as they progress through the game. It’s all there."
Avengers has effectively been criticized since launch at every single turn. Due to the bugs and issues at launch, its roadmap has been delayed leading to its DLC arriving at a far slower pace than was originally intended. The game has lost so much traction that there have been at least three occasions over the course of the past month where its player count on Steam has dropped to zero.
Avengers wasn't completely ignored during Square's E3 showcase. A new trailer for its War on Wakanda expansion was revealed, and it actually looks pretty great. The trouble is, despite the popularity of Black Panther, it might well be too little too late. Especially now that Guardians of the Galaxy is coming from the same studio before the end of the year.