Marvel’s Midnight Sun, the superhero strategy game from Firaxis and 2K Games, is no longer coming to Nintendo Switch. But the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are still part of 2K’s plan and will arrive on the last-gen consoles on May 11 – a little later than expected.
Firaxis and 2K did not explain the reasons behind the game’s cancellation on a previously promised platform, only acknowledging “that a Nintendo Switch version of Marvel’s Midnight Sun is no longer planned”. an announcement on Tuesday.
It is likely that the commercial performance of Midnight sunbathing and the challenge of porting games to the underpowered Switch are factors behind that decision. Marvel’s Midnight Sun was not a hit for 2K parent company Take-Two Interactive, So said CEO Strauss Zelnick earlier this year. Zelnick put some of the blame on a “release window”. [that] wasn’t perfect”; the game debuted on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X in early December.
Marvel’s Midnight Sun will hit the PS4 and Xbox One on the same day as the game’s fourth add-on, Blood storm, which adds X-Men leader Storm, arrives on all other platforms. The three previous DLC expansions (The good, the bad and the undead; Repayment; And The hunger) will also be available on PS4 and Xbox One at launch.
Developed by XCOM studio Firaxis and designed by outgoing creative director Jake Solomon, Marvel’s Midnight Sun combines Marvel’s roster of superheroes, anti-heroes and super-villains with card-based combat strategy. In Polygon’s review of the game, we said Midnight sunbathing was “full of rich texture” and “tactically refined deck.”
“Midnight sunbathing isn’t XCOM – but that’s ultimately its greatest strength,” said our reviewer. “It’s something completely different and utterly exceptional.”