Marvel's Avengers next-gen console update won't arrive until 2021

You'll need to wait until sometime next year to play Marvel's Avengers in its full glory on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game won't be fully optimized for those consoles until 2021. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix previously said the upgrade (which is free for those who bought the game on PS4/Xbox One) would be available during the holiday season.

Crystal Dynamics studio head Scot Amos wrote in a blog post that the decision was made "to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be." You'll still be able to play the PS4 or Xbox One versions on their sibling consoles, and they'll get a couple of boosts in the form of higher frame rates and faster loading times. You can carry forward your game save data and still play co-op missions with friends on the respective older console.

The studio is also pushing back the rollout of the first post-launch hero, Kate Bishop. She was supposed to make her bow later this month. The delay doesn't seem too extensive, thankfully, but there’s no specific date for her arrival. "We’re sorry for this slight delay, but we are dedicated as a team to quality first," Amos wrote.

Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) will soon join the lineup too, while Spider-Man is supposed to land on the PlayStation versions of Marvel’s Avengers early next year. The studio plans to reveal more about the future of the game next month.

Amos gave some indication of what's on the way in the near future, including a ping system that will let you instruct AI teammates to smash through doors or target certain enemies. There will also be an option to replay the campaign with your characters' level and loadouts intact.

Crystal Dynamics has added more late-game content in recent weeks, including new types of missions. Soon, you can try your hand at limited-time multiplayer challenges as well. The first Omega-Level Threat mission will reward you with an exotic drop the first time you complete it.

Amos acknowledged the game has had some difficulties, though said the developers have resolved "several systemic issues that were creating a number of game crashes or freezes" over the last several weeks. The studio is working with NVIDIA to fix some PC performance issues too. As a thank you for toughing things out, Crystal Dynamics is giving players a bundle of digital goodies, including enough credits to buy a legendary skin of their choice from the marketplace.