Update:
Following the news that Marvel’s Avengers has been delayed, Titan Books has confirmed to IGN that the prequel novel, Avengers: The Extinction Key, has also been moved up to better line up with the new video game release date.
According to a statement by Titan Books, the new publication date for Avengers: The Extinction Key is August 4, 2020. That is exactly one month before Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game is set to be released.
Original story follows:
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Before Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal’s Avengers game comes out next year Titan Books will publish an official prequel novel that will tie directly into the events of the game.
Titled Marvel’s Avengers: The Extinction Key, the novel will follow the Avengers and their allies as they battle an ancient organization called the Zodiac. The Avengers team consisting of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, and Hulk join forces with other heroes like Doctor Strange, Doctor Voodoo, and SHIELD agents to stop the Zodiac from obtaining a weapon called the Zodiac Key.
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The Extinction Key is written by New York Times bestselling author Greg Keyes and will be released on March 31, 2020, before the game launches. But it will only be the first of two Marvel’s Avengers books Titan will publish that year. The other is the official art book for Marvel’s Avengers by Paul Davies. Titled Marvel’s Avengers: The Art of the Game, it will be released on September 1, 2020, and will feature, according to Titan, “intimate studies of the Avengers, their designs, outfits, gear, and abilities, plus a detailed look at the different environments and missions in the game. Unmasking the artistry behind the hotly anticipated videogame, this showpiece hardback book contains exclusive concept sketches, character art, storyboards, and fully-rendered scenes alongside fascinating insights into the creative process from the talented creators of the game.”
The books are the first entries in a new collaboration between Titan Books, Marvel, publisher Square Enix and developers Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal to publish a range of official fiction and non-fiction titles for Marvel’s Avengers.
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Square Enix officially revealed Marvel’s Avengers at E3 2019 after the game was announced in 2017. Marvel’s Avengers will feature co-op, team-based gameplay that features live-service elements along with a full-fledged single-player mode.
Alongside the standard Avengers lineup, other Marvel characters will be playable including Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, who is also the protagonist of the single-player story. Check out IGN’s Marvel’s Avengers preview from Gamescom earlier this year for more details.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Marvel's Avengers Prequel Novel Release Date Moved After Game Delay