Key Takeaways
- Several delisted Activision-published Marvel games just received a backend update on Steam that adds new store page screenshots.
- Titles updated include Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2, Deadpool, and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.
- Reports surfaced earlier this year claiming that Microsoft was working to restore old licenses after acquiring Activision, adding credence to theories that we might see these games return.
Over the last decade, countless Activison-published Marvel games have been delisted from digital storefronts without warning, eroding an entire library of beloved classics.
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XboxEra claimed in August of this year that Microsoft, having acquired Activision Blizzard King, was “trying to work through” license agreements with Marvel regarding these older titles. Specifically, Deadpool and Ultimate Alliance.
Only a few days ago, those exact games received Steam updates on the backend.
Specifically, The Store Pages Have Been Updated
This isn’t an unusual case: if you look through their history, you’ll see that they have been updated regularly throughout the last few years. But what stands out here is the changelist stating, “added store_screenshot”.
The full list of games to receive this backend update are: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2, Deadpool, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, War for Cybertron, and Devastation.
While Ultimate Alliance still has a public store page, Deadpool does not. So, an update that users cannot see would be pointless, adding credence to XboxEra’s claims that Microsoft is trying to bring back these lost Marvel games.
However, until Microsoft or Marvel clarifies, this isn’t confirmation of anything. These could simply be routine backend updates like the last dozen or so, but with reports to the contrary and the store page updates, there’s hope yet for these Activision titles to return.
Marvel
The biggest name in superheroes and comic books, Marvel Entertainment has been owned by The Walt Disney Company since 2009. Its characters include Spider-Man, The Avengers, and the X-Men, while many of the movies that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are among the highest-grossing films in history.