Marvel’s Avengers will not be updated for next-generation consoles until 2021. The game’s developer Crystal Dynamics, shared the disappointing news this past Friday. They also announced a delay of the game’s upcoming DLC, which was supposed to be released at the end of the month. According to PCGamer, the game “has been losing players at an almost alarming rate.” After its release, Marvel’s Avengers became September’s best-selling game. But only month later and there are no more than 2,500 playing the game on PC every day. This shows a massive decline of 67 percent, since its average peak of just over 28,000 in September.
Unfortunately, the push-backed release date on the DLC, means players won’t be able to play as the game’s first new character, Kate Bishop. The new hero was expected to join the Avengers by the end of this month, and with her, a continuation of the main campaign. The Avenger Kate Bishop has similar abilities to Hawkeye, a bow and arrow wielding hero. Unfortunately, Crystal Dynamics hasn’t released a new date for her crime-fighting debut.
The game’s publisher, Square Enix, previously announced that Marvel’s Avengers would be a PlayStation 5 launch title. This meant it would share the next-gen console’s release date later this year. However, the announcement made Friday revealed Crystal Dynamics’ remodeled goals, with efforts now focused on updating and fixing bugs in the current version. The developer blog saying the pushed back next-gen released date is to “ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be.”
Although the delay of the game’s DLC and next-gen version is bad news for eagerly-awaiting fans, there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel. Marvel’s Avengers will still be available to play on next-gen consoles, but according to Polygon, “upgrades will be minimal and limited to those provided by the more powerful hardware.” In addition, Crystal Dynamics is sharing a “thank you bundle” with players and it’s full of free in-game awards. The gift to players includes 1500 Credits, 7000 Units, 250 Upgrade Modules, 20 DNA Keys, and a Sara Garza-Inspired Nameplate. The bundle will be available for players to download until November 1st.