Marvel's Avengers Is Slowing Down XP Gains In Its Next-Gen Update

Ahead of March 18's next-gen upgrade and the launch of the Hawkeye DLC in Marvel's Avengers, developer Crystal Dynamics is making a few changes to just how players earn XP and grow their heroes in the process. From level 25, the amount of XP needed to level up will increase the closer you get to level 50.

While this change won't affect how players increase their overall power, Crystal Dynamics says that the decision was made to help new players from being overwhelmed as they earned skill points too quickly in the early stages of the game.

"This has led to pacing issues, such as skill points currently being rewarded too fast, which may be confusing and overwhelming to newer players. We want each decision to invest in a skill or Heroic to be more meaningful," the developer explained in a blog update.

If you already have characters who have reached the current level 50 maximum, they won't be retroactively affected by this change. Crystal Dynamics also intends to fix another bug that allowed players to quickly level characters up at a faster-than-usual pace if they have multiple high-level characters once the Hawkeye DLC arrives.

Cosmetics are also being reworked as the current goal is to provide more player agency and clarity while removing randomness from the process. Random cosmetic item drops will be temporarily disabled as the studio plans to make sure that when you earn a cosmetic item, it is something you have had a choice in working towards.

These items will eventually be available from the cosmetic vendor and other places in a future update and can be purchased with Units, which in turn can be earned from in-game activities.

This will result in random chance cosmetic rewards from completing activities and character progression being affected. Numerous patterns will also be temporarily disabled from dropping, replaced in some instances with additional Units at the cosmetic vendor who will still have the following outfits and nameplates for sale while her shop is revamped:

Outfits

• Black Widow's Dawn and Midnight
• Captain America's Covert Commando and Freedom Fighter
• Hulk's Shattered and Fractured
• Iron Man's Midas and Gunmetal
• Ms. Marvel's Detailed and Crafted
• Thor's Hard Hat
• Kate Bishop's Private Eye and <3

Nameplates

• Black Widow 6 and 14
• Captain America 6 and 10
• Hulk 14 and 27
• Iron Man 7 and 14
• Ms. Marvel 18 and 19
• Thor 17 and 22
• Kate Bishop 7 and 8

Emotes, which were previously level-up rewards, will also be added to the vendor on March 18:

• Black Widow Head Nod and Watch Me
• Captain America Salute and Let's Go
• Hulk Hey and Follow
• Iron Man Over Here and Beacon
• Ms. Marvel Wave and Follow Me
• Thor Hey There and You There
• Kate Bishop's Hey and Beckon

For more on the visual upgrades that Marvel's Avengers will be packing when it arrives on PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, you can check out our post detailing improved textures, lighting effects, and much more.

The next-gen upgrades will also conclude the two-part Hawkeye storyline, adding the original Avengers archer to the team in the Future Imperfect operation. Like his protégé Kate Bishop aka also Hawkeye, Barton has plenty of offensive options, but it's his quiver full of trick arrows that make him a completely different character to use in combat.