News

FoxNext hits the ground running with Marvel Strike Force release

Debut from Fox’s new game division

FoxNext hits the ground running with Marvel Strike Force release

The first game from FoxNext Games is out today as Marvel Strike Force launches on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The free-to-play squad-based RPG originally started development in Kabam’s Los Angeles studio in early 2016.

Netmarble bought the majority of Kabam’s assets in late 2016, however, with Twentieth Century Fox Film and Fox Networks Group picking up the LA studio and creating the FoxNext division in early 2017.

Alongside FoxNext Games, which is working on a mobile MMOG based on the forthcoming Avatar films in LA and setting up a new narrative game studio in San Francisco, FoxNext also handles VR and location-based entertainment.

Galaxy of super heroes

As for Marvel Strike Force, it follows the template set by EA’s Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and looks to improve on that successful formula with very high-end graphics and deeper social interactions.

In a recent interview with PocketGamer.biz FoxNext Games' LA studio GM Amir Rahim told us: “We have a tremendous respect for the Galaxy of Heroes’ team but just as with Call of Duty and Battlefield, we believe the genre can support two successful games.”

Of course, the Marvel universe provides another key differentiator.

The game will launch with over 70 super heroes and villains to unlock and level up, ranging from Hulk, Iron Man, Jessica Jones and Spider-Man to Elektra, Wolverine, Venom and Star-Lord.

Significantly the game also encompasses the X-Men universe, which will give the development team plenty of scope for future updates given forthcoming Marvel films include April’s Avengers: Infinity War, May’s Deadpool 2 and October’s Venom. X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants follow in 2019.

“The Marvel universe has never been hotter and given it’s a diverse, character-driven IP, it’s ideal for this sort of game,” said Rahimi.

You can read the full interview with Amir Rahimi - Superhero hot: The making of Marvel Strike Force - here.

Get the latest news, interviews and in-depth analysis on Twitter, Facebook and our daily newsletter.

Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.