The board game adaptation Monopoly Plus has sold more copies in the UK than Marvel’s Avengers, according to a report by Gamesindustry.biz.
Square Enix’s superhero romp ranks just below the Monopoly game, coming in at number 15 on a list of top-selling video games in the UK for 2020.
Monopoly Plus also managed to snag eighth place on the top-selling digital games list, while the Avengers game seemingly sits somewhere beneath the top ten. Marvel’s Avengers has reportedly performed lower than expected while failing to provide the cash flow that Square Enix had hoped for [via Rock Paper Shotgun].
The Avengers game has had a troubling life so far. The game has apparently lost 96 per cent of its players since its launch in September last year. Square Enix is also about to implement controversial changes to the game’s XP system, making accumulation slower. Marvel’s Avengers has already been criticised for its XP grind, so you can imagine why fans would be upset at the situation.
The upcoming update to Marvel’s Avengers’ XP is apparently an attempt to accommodate new players. Square Enix explained the “XP Rework” update in an official update, which cites the following reasons for the changes:
“The current XP ‘curve’ isn’t really a curve at all. In most RPGs, the amount of XP you need to level up increases as you gain levels in a curve, but our system is a straight line. 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.”
Whether or not this will suit new players remains to be seen. However, critics have voiced their concerns about the changes over Twitter:
Marvel’s Avengers is a live-service game, so its experience is expected to evolve over time. That being said, Anthem was also a live-service based experience, and that didn’t really work out so well.
As for the Monopoly game that managed to beat The Avengers in sales? Well, it’s Monopoly. Perhaps its sales are a symptom of the current pandemic, with fans looking for a way to play the board game with friends from afar.
Marvel’s Avengers is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC. Monopoly Plus is also available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as Nintendo Switch and PC. You can also grab Marvel’s Avengers on the GameByte Shop!
Featured Image Credit: Square Enix/Ubisoft