Marvel Strike Force developer Boundless Entertainment has officially pulled back the curtains on Kestrel, the first all-original character in the game. Also known as Major Sybil Tan, Kestrel was designed by Boundless Entertainment in collaboration with Marvel, and will be joining the ever-growing roster of recognizable and beloved heroes and villains. Boundless Entertainment and Scopely gave Game Informer a fresh look at the character through new details, new art, and her first trailer.
Sybil Tan is a physicist, engineer, pilot, and astronaut of Malaysian Chinese descent. She has devoted her life to science, having worked for U.S. Space Command at NASA during her early career. While there, she earned the callsign “Kestrel.” Shortly thereafter, Nick Fury recruited her in hopes of utilizing her intelligence and passion for exploring the boundaries of reality.
She soon became the lead architect of STRIKE’s interdimensional technology and was the first to test a prototype portal generator she developed. Unfortunately, the test failed and left Kestrel floating through the outer reaches of reality in her exo-suit. Kestrel used her time traveling through different dimensions to learn how realities diverge and how to manipulate and create new timelines. While she was floating from dimension to dimension, she encountered a ton of worlds that were conquered by Ultimus, the villain of Marvel Strike Force. When Kestrel finally made it back to her home dimension and timeline, she joined up with Strike Force to help stave off the invasion of Ultimus.
Kestrel looks to be an invaluable addition to the Strike Force team, both in the lore and to players. When we spoke to creative director Jason Bender for a forthcoming interview, he touted her in-game prowess as being among the most powerful, even likening her to that of the consensus best character in the game. “We wanted her to be in the ballpark of Silver Surfer,” he says. “So, you’re getting some back-to-back heavy hitters in Silver Surfer and Kestrel. They’re both going to be pretty crazy.”
Kestrel uses her exo-suit, portal cannon, and dimension-manipulating abilities in battle, making her a powerful character in the lore. She was designed by Boundless Entertainment and Scopely in collaboration with Marvel. “It was an honor to collaborate with our friends at Boundless Entertainment and Scopely to unleash a brand new superstar into the Marvel universe,” VP of creative at Marvel games Bill Rosemann said in a press release. “From her backstory and origin to her exo-suit and powers, Kestrel was crafted to deliver an immediate impact as players around the world celebrate Marvel Strike Force’s huge third anniversary.”
Kestrel makes her in-game debut tomorrow, with players getting the opportunity to play as her and earn character shards to recruit her to their rosters in a limited-time event that runs from May 8 to May 23. Stay tuned to GameInformer.com for more on Kestrel and her creation.
