Marvel Puzzle Quest News

It’s time to properly introduce the team over at Infinity Plus 2 (IP2) who will be stewarding the developments of MARVEL Puzzle Quest moving forward! Many of you will already know IP2’s work as the creators of the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of Warlords in 2007 and the recent remaster “Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition”, but also as the creators of the match-3 RPG Gems of War. 

We’re really excited about this new phase of MPQ’s development because it means a fresh set of eyes on the game as a whole and more importantly, on the ongoing issues that have been a challenge since the switch to the Unity engine. Their goal is to get the game back to running smoothly once again, while setting the foundation for a development environment that will allow the game to evolve faster in a positive direction.

So without further ado, here are a few of the new team members from IP2 who will be part of the core team at IP2 who will be working hard to improve the game across all its different functions. Here’s just a few of the folks from IP2 who’ll be working on MPQ!

[h2]IP2 MARVEL Puzzle Quest Team Members[/h2]
Steve Fawkner - Founder, Infinity Plus 2
A.K.A “Sirran” as he is known across the deepest, darkest corners of the PQ universe, Steve is the founder of Infinity Plus 2 and arguably the biggest innovator of the match-3 RPG genre. His work has been shaped by a love of strategy games and MARVEL Puzzle Quest is just the right kind of challenge for the combined skills of the IP2 Team.

“We have spent the past couple of months putting together a great team for this project - 'Assembling some Avengers', if you will. I am so pleased with how that team has come together, and I really believe we're getting this game that we all love into some great, and very experienced, hands. Like most of the folks in our office, I am a lifelong MARVEL fan. I’ve been developing games for almost 4 decades now, and this is easily the most exciting franchise I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on.”

Production Team - Morgz & Harry
These are the folks charged with managing the chaos of live operations. They’ll be managing MPQ’s priorities, making sure all the content and live parts of the game are working as expected, and generally keeping all the many pieces of the MPQ machine moving together, and looking after the team on the ground. They’ll also be involved in some of the creative aspects of the game.

Morgz - MPQ Producer
Morgz (aka TheMigz) is a battle-hardened veteran of live services having been with IP2 for a number of years, most recently shipping Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition. 

“I love a challenge, and MPQ is definitely that! There is a lot of history to this game, and a lot of information that goes along with it. We’ve learned a lot of it in a fairly short amount of time, not only about how the game works, but about you all as a community, and the problems you’ve been having. I feel really lucky to be coming into a game with such an engaged group of players, and we’re going to do everything we can to earn and deserve your trust in us.”

Harry - MPQ Producer
Knowing that MPQ was far too big for a single Producer, IP2 needed a hero adorned with spreadsheets and Harry came a ridin’ in. He may be one of the newest members of the IP2 team, but he comes packing many, many years of experience in games and project management.

“As a pretty big Marvel fan, it’s incredibly exciting to be working on MPQ. I know this project has touched a few hands along its way and with that comes a lot of design and tech debt. From my perspective it means that there’s an opportunity to get in there and exemplify the things that do work and clean up the things that don’t quite hit the mark. I think MPQ has a heap of potential and I know that the entire team is committed to getting MPQ to a state that feels cleaner and more engaging. 

Though it may take us some time, I ask that you bear with us as we learn and understand the systems before we really start bringing some more exciting updates. One of the things I recognised early into the project is just how passionate you all are about this game, and that inspires us to get through the issues and build something you will all keep enjoying. We’re ready for this new era, hopefully you’ll keep sticking around with us and what’s to come!”

Josh - Lead Engineer
Before making his way to IP2 years ago, Josh honed many of his skills in the fiery crucible of a quick-turnaround-contract-studio. He’s a solid workhorse, and a surprisingly chill force to be reckoned with. He will be leading the charge to chip away the issues plaguing MPQ, and building new things to make it better!

“A transition is rarely smooth at the best of times; there’s a lot of knowledge to transfer and what works for one may not work for another. We have been wrapping our hands firmly around the reins so that we can continue to deliver the content you have come to expect, ahead of being able to comfortably improve and iterate on the stability and performance of the game, alongside feature development. I hope you’ll bear with us, or join us again in the future as we strive to make a better MPQ.”

Finn - Game Designer
Finn is also a newer member of the IP2 family, but he has a rich depth of experience working for some of Australia’s largest studios on global titles. He has turned his big ponytail-topped brain to the inner workings of MPQ and we’re very glad to have this giant of a man with us for a giant project!

“Always excited to get on board with a project and see where I'm needed! MPQ has a rich background of content and features that we’re keen to refresh with the Unity move. I'm looking forward to introducing new Marvel Characters into the game that fit within the existing play structure, but allow for a breadth of new play styles to emerge. As a team, we’re excited to introduce some much-requested player features as well as look at new ways to expand the existing systems.”

[h2]Upcoming Priorities[/h2]
Since the team began onboarding at the end of last year, they have been assessing the unique situation that MPQ is currently facing. Unity added opportunities for increased flexibility, but the issues that have come along with the switch have created a lot of challenges that need to be overcome, in addition to the weight of the 12 year legacy of MPQ. Releasing their first build (R337) this month, they are aware that there’s still some polishing to do in their process while they begin to move forward on the project. Part of that is to look forward to our interim goals in the not too distant future.

Short Term - Finding Our Feet
In this phase, we will be focusing on getting content out as smoothly as possible and making sure we’re very well across that process. We will also be looking at some smaller items we can deliver to improve the game. For example, minor performance optimisations, bugs, and QOLs we think we can deliver without causing unintended ripples in this fragile ecosystem.

Mid Term
After so many years, there are quite a few things in MPQ that just need optimising and/or spring cleaning in order to properly fix ongoing issues and pave the way for smoother development. Our mid-term goal (we’re talking months for this one), is to make some of those much needed changes in the backend of the game so we have some solid ground to stand on for bigger features.

While this happens, we intend to continue to work on any smaller items we can that won’t be too tied up in that behind-the-scenes work.

Long Term
We know the last stretch has felt a bit like rebuilding a Quinjet mid-flight: the Unity transition brought real long-term potential, but it also came with some very real turbulence. The good news is that we’re through the door now of dev transitioning and IP2 is fully hands-on, learning the systems, untangling the gnarlier problems, and steadily working on getting MPQ back into a place where updates can be delivered with confidence.

What excites us most is what comes after the initial stabilization work so we can actually put together a long term roadmap for you all. Once we’re past that, we can spend less time chasing fires and more time doing what this game deserves: polishing the experience, adding meaningful improvements, and delivering the kind of new content and features that make you boot up MPQ and think, okay… this rules.

Thanks for sticking with us through the transition and we look to have some more blogs introducing a few other members of the team and talk about more details on things that we’re currently tinkering on!

[h3]Ability: Cosmic Hellfire[/h3]
Color: Green
AP Cost: 6
Deal 4438 damage, then create 1 Cosmic tile(s).

(PASSIVE) For each Cosmic tile on the board, Ghost Rider deals 6% increased damage and takes 6% decreased damage (max 5 tiles). Cosmic tiles deal an additional 1530 damage when matched by allies.

700: Deal 20733 damage. Deal 6% increased damage. Take 6% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 7149 damage.

Level 2: Deal 5814 damage. Deal 7% increased damage. Take 7% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 1568 damage.
700: Deal 27160 damage. Deal 7% increased damage. Take 7% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 7328 damage.

Level 3: Deal 7500 damage. Deal 8% increased damage. Take 8% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 1606 damage.
700: Deal 35039 damage. Deal 8% increased damage. Take 8% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 7506 damage.

Level 4: Create 2 Cosmic tiles. Deal 10% increased damage. Take 10% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 1683 damage. 
700: Create 2 Cosmic tiles. Deal 10% increased damage. Take 10% reduced damage. Cosmic tiles deal 7864 damage. 

Level 5: Deal 10713 damage. Create 3 Cosmic tiles. Cosmic tiles deal 5049 damage.
700: Deal 50049 damage. Create 3 Cosmic tiles. Cosmic tiles deal 23592 damage.


[h3]Ability: Stay Put, Chump![/h3]
Color: Red
AP Cost: 6

Select an enemy and create a 3-turn Countdown tile. Each turn the tile creates a Cosmic tile and deals 1561 damage. While this tile is on the board, the chosen enemy is brought to the front at the end of the enemy’s turn. 

(PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, deal 337 damage for each Cosmic tile on the board.
700: Deal 7292 damage. Deal 1573 damage for each Cosmic tile.

Level 2: Deal 2402 damage. Deal 398 damage for each Cosmic tile.
700: Deal 11222 damage. Deal 1859 damage for each Cosmic tile.

Level 3: Deal 3214 damage. Deal 460 damage for each Cosmic tile.
700: Deal 15014 damage. Deal 2146 damage for each Cosmic tile.

Level 4: Deal 4744 damage. Deal 598 damage for each Cosmic tile.
700: Deal 22160 damage. Deal 2789 damage for each Cosmic tile.

Level 5: Deal 7866 damage. Deal 858 damage for each Cosmic tile.
700: Deal 36744 damage. Deal 4003 damage for each Cosmic tile.


[h3]Ability: Penance[/h3]
Color: Black
AP Cost: 8

Remove up to 3 Cosmic tiles to deal 10407 damage plus 4270 for each Cosmic tile removed.

(PASSIVE) Whenever the enemy first and ability and for every 21733 damage the enemy deals, create a Cosmic tile. If there are more than 10 Cosmic tiles, immediately fire this ability and remove 2 additional Cosmic tiles.
700: Deal 48614 damage, plus 19946 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 101518 damage the enemy deals. 

Level 2: Deal 11375 damage, plus 4667 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 17452 damage the enemy deals. 
700: Deal 53135 damage, plus 21801 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 81519 damage the enemy deals. 

Level 3: Deal 12384 damage, plus 5081 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 13170 damage the enemy deals. 
700: Deal 57851 damage, plus 23736 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 61520 damage the enemy deals. 

Level 4: Deal 13394 damage, plus 5495 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 8715 damage the enemy deals. 
700: Deal 62566 damage, plus 25671 damage for each tile removed. Create a tile for every 40709 damage the enemy deals. 

Level 5: Deal 18139 damage, plus 7438 damage for each tile removed. 
700: Deal 84734 damage, plus 34746 damage for each tile removed.

[h3]Ability: Dual Repulsor Blast[/h3]
[h3]Color: Red[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 4[/h3]

Deal 443 damage, then create 2 2-turn Yellow Countdown tile(s) that grants 1 Yellow AP when it expires or deals 177 damage when matched or destroyed by an ally.

(PASSIVE) Whenever you make a Red, Yellow, or Blue match, gain 1 AP in one of those colors that has less than 8 AP

450: Deal 1781 damage. Deal 712 damage when matched or destroyed.
550: Deal 3848 damage. Deal 1539 damage when matched or destroyed.

• Level 2: Deal 509 damage. Deal 204 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 450: Deal 2048 damage. Deal 819 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 550: Deal 4425 damage. Deal 1770 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
  
• Level 3: Deal 576 damage. Deal 230 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 450: Deal 2315 damage. Deal 926 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 550: Deal 5002 damage. Deal 2001 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
  
• Level 4: Deal 709 damage. Deal 283 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 450: Deal 2850 damage. Deal 1139 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 550: Deal 6157 damage. Deal 2462damage when matched or destroyed.
  
  
• Level 5: Deal 1019 damage. Deal 407 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 450: Deal 4096 damage. Deal 1638 damage when matched or destroyed.
  
• 550: Deal 8850 damage. Deal 3540 damage when matched or destroyed.

[h3]Ability: Beam Cannon[/h3]
[h3]Color: Blue[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 8[/h3]

Select a row to destroy, then Drain all Blue AP and deal 204 team damage for each AP drained. (Destroyed tiles do not deal damage or grant AP)

450: Deal 819 damage.
550: Deal 1770 damage.

• Level 2: Deal 231 damage.
  
• 450: Deal 925 damage.
  
• 550: Deal 2000 damage.
  
  
• Level 3: Deal 257 damage.
  
• 450: Deal 1033 damage.
  
• 550: Deal 2232 damage.
  
  
• Level 4: Deal 310 damage.
  
• 450: Deal 1247 damage.
  
• 550: Deal 2694 damage.
  
  
• Level 5: Deal 417 damage.
  
• 450: Deal 1673 damage.
  
• 550: Deal 3616 damage.

[h3]Ability: Arc Reaction[/h3]
[h3]Color: Yellow[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 5[/h3]

Deal 753 damage to the target and one other random enemy, then create 2 2-turn Red Countdown tiles that grants 1 Red AP when it expires or deals 301 damage when matched or destroyed by an ally.

(PASSIVE) Whenever you fire Iron Man’s Red or Yellow abilities, gain 1 Blue AP.

450: Deal 3027 damage. Deal 1211 damage when matched or destroyed.
550: Deal 6542 damage. Deal 2617 damage when matched or destroyed.

[h3]Ability: My Best Shot[/h3]
[h3]Color: Red[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 6[/h3]

Spider-Man lets loose a cosmic blast coupled with his already Amazing strength. Select a 3×3 block, then deal 2908 damage and create 2 Web tiles within the block and convert existing Web tiles in the block into Critical tiles.

(PASSIVE) When Spider-Man makes a match, create 1 Web tile (up to 3). Web tiles matched or destroyed by allies deal an additional 1071 damage.

700: Deal 13583 damage. Matches create up to 3 tiles. Deal an additional 5004 damage.

Level 2: Deal 5202 damage. Matches create up to 4 tiles. Deal an additional 1530 damage.

• 700: Deal 24300 damage. Matches create up to 4 tiles. Deal an additional 7151 damage.
  

Level 3: Deal 7500 damage. Deal an additional 2142 damage.

• 700: Deal 35031 damage. Deal an additional 10008 damage.
  

Level 4: Deal 7654 damage. Create 3 tiles within the block. Matches create up to 5 tiles. Deal an additional 3060 damage.

• 700: Deal 35750 damage. Create 3 tiles within the block. Matches create up to 5 tiles. Deal an additional 14296 damage.
  

Level 5: Deal 12246 damage. Create 4 tiles within the block. Deal an additional 5202 damage.

• 700: Deal 57198 damage. Create 4 tiles within the block. Deal an additional 24304 damage.
  

[h3]Ability: With Ultimate Power[/h3]
[h3]Color: Yellow[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 7[/h3]

With the power granted by the Enigma force, Peter Parker takes on the mantle of Captain Universe. Create 5 random Web tiles.

(PASSIVE) When an ally would take ability damage, remove a Web tile to reduce the damage by 20%. When there are 5 or more Web tiles on the board, this ability becomes Ultimate Responsibility.

700: Unchanged.

Level 2: Cost 1 AP less. Reduce damage by 23.76%

• 700: Unchanged.
  

Level 3: Reduce damage by 27.5%

• 700: Unchanged.
  

Level 4: Create 6 tiles. Reduce damage by 35%.

• 700: Unchanged.
  

Level 5: Create 7 tiles. Reduce damage by 50%.

• 700: Unchanged.
  

[h3]Ability: Ultimate Responsibility[/h3]
[h3]Color: Yellow[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 7[/h3]

With these new powers, Spider-Man defends his entire reality. Convert 5 Web tiles into Critical tiles, deal 5051 team damage, and Stun the enemy team for 1 turn.

(PASSIVE) Allies take 20% reduced damage and deal 2602 damage when they take ability damage. When there are less than 5 Web tiles on the board, this ability becomes With Ultimate Power…

700: Deal 23592 team damage and 12154 counter damage. Reduce damage by 20%.

Level 2: Deal 5970 damage and 3367 counter damage. Reduce damage by 23.76%.

• 700: Deal 27886 damage and 15727 counter damage. Reduce damage by 23.76%.
  

Level 3: Deal 7041 damage and 3978 counter damage. Reduce damage by 27.5%.

• 700: Deal 32887 damage and 18583 counter damage. Reduce damage by 27.5%.
  

Level 4: Deal 9031 damage and 5204 counter damage. Reduce damage by 35%.

• 700: Deal 42182 damage and 24308 counter damage. Reduce damage by 35%.
  

Level 5: Deal 13163 damage and 7806 counter damage. Reduce damage by 50%.

• 700: Deal 61481 damage and 36462 counter damage. Reduce damage by 50%.

[h3]Ability: Not the Same Spider-Man[/h3]
[h3]Color: Purple[/h3]
[h3]AP Cost: 7[/h3]

Spider-Man changes the very molecular structure of the matter around him. Select 2 tiles and convert up to 2 tiles around each into the same color and any Web tiles into Critical tiles, then deal 2449 damage.

(PASSIVE) Every 2 turn(s), at the start of Spider-Man’s turn, Create 1 Web tile, adjacent to an enemy special tile if able.

700: Deal 11439 damage.

Level 2: Deal 4134 damage.

• 700: Deal 19309 damage.
  

Level 3: Deal 5816 damage.

• 700: Deal 27168 damage.
  

Level 4: Deal 6123 damage. Create tiles every 1 turn.

• 700: Deal 28598 damage. Create tiles every 1 turn.
  

Level 5: Deal 12399 damage.

• 700: Deal 57916 damage.

With 2026 on the horizon, we’ve been taking a thorough look at MARVEL Puzzle Quest in its current post-Unity state and determining our plans for next year. These plans are going to be implemented so we can shape MPQ’s next year into one of excitement with new features and much-needed updates to the game.

Unity has shaped much of our work this year, capped by this summer’s launch of the Unity version of MPQ. We planned for some turbulence and a gradual smooth-out as we integrated the game into our live servers and finally got players to experience what was supposed to be a momentous milestone in the game’s history. While improvements have been continually made, they’re not being made at a steady enough progress to set up the 2026 that we had originally envisioned. 

However, on a positive note regarding new content, we also released our first post-Unity features with 6-Star characters and the all new Tower Mode. Both of which show some exciting potential in having a strong foothold in the game’s meta and we’re encouraged by the conversations that are being had around these features. We’ll continue to make adjustments in the future since this is our first rollout and there will of course be room for improvement. 

Since MPQ’s handoff to 505 Games, BCS has been a great partner in supporting its day-to-day live service operations and during these last months of Unity, and they’ve been working hard to stabilize the game. However, as we look toward not only the goals we have, but the further improvements needed, it’s clear we need to bring in additional resources to bring MPQ to where it needs to be.

In looking at our options for how to accomplish this, one team came to mind that was uniquely situated to tackle such an endeavor. We're excited to announce that our internal development studio, Infinity Plus Two (IP2), will be taking over the development of MARVEL Puzzle Quest. This change not only brings development efforts in-house to leverage their expertise in creating Unity games and managing live service titles, but it also returns MPQ to its Puzzle Quest roots with the team that created the franchise and defined the Match 3 RPG genre. 

Starting in 2026, IP2 will transition into the role of being our main development team in charge of MPQ and its full live service operations. While the IP2 team have already begun familiarising themselves with the project, as you can imagine, MPQ is a big game with a long history, so they will be transitioning over the coming months. Their first priorities will be ensuring content continues to be delivered smoothly and a focus on some QoLs while they come up to speed, before taking bigger swings. But the team is very keen and already making plans. We expect to have exciting things to talk about early next year after the team has had a chance to fully get to know the game. Also a fun fact, our very own IceIX has some very deep roots with this team since he has played an integral role in several Puzzle Quest games in the franchise’s history and will continue to be a key link in this new era of MPQ.

Expect to hear from us early next year as we begin to shape MPQ’s development from the house where Puzzle Quest began. We’ll be focusing on the obvious priorities like stability, but equally important to our players, new exciting refreshes to the game that will be outlined in a new 2026 roadmap. Until then, we look forward to unveiling our newest slate of characters for 2025 including the last two 6-star reveals of the year!