Marvel World of Heroes is Pokémon Go for superheroes

Pokémon Go developer Niantic is making an augmented reality mobile game based on the Marvel universe.

Marvel World of Heroes will mix the AR gameplay of Pokémon Go with the tight spandex of superheroes. Announced in a short teaser trailer (opens in new tab), it will let you customize your own crime-fighting character to thwart villains in your local (AR) neighborhood

“Create your own hero, patrol your neighborhood to foil crimes, and team up with your friends as well as iconic Marvel heroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine to save the Multiverse,” reads the game’s description.

Marvel Go

Marvel World of Heroes looks to pull from Niantic’s expertise in AR mobile games, but isn’t replicating the pocket monster-catching mega-hit wholesale. In a blog post (opens in new tab), lead game designer Neil Melville says the game “gives a lot of flexibility for players to express different body types, gender expressions, and outfit customization”.

Senior producer Lyza Faylona says the dev team was inspired by MMORPGs and wants to replicate that genre’s expansive feeling. The developers are placing a lot of emphasis on exploration, as well as interacting with the ordinary world with the preternatural powers of a Marvel superhero.

In a change from Pokémon Go, you won’t just be walking around catching critters to launch into battles, but it seems like you’ll do the fighting yourself. The short trailer shows players wielding Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, Cyclops’ laser-shooting eyes, and Doctor Strange’s circular orange energy shields. You’ll also be able to team up with other players, although exactly how co-op battles work hasn’t been detailed.

World of Heroes will soft launch “soon”. You can sign up for its beta test on the game’s website. (opens in new tab)

This is by no means the first time Niantic has transferred Pokémon Go’s hit AR gameplay to another title. It released pet simulator Peridot earlier this year, although we’ll have to wait and see whether World of Heroes makes its way to the list of best Android mobile games on the market.

The game is slated to release in 2023 for Android and iOS.