Marvel’s Avengers Kate Bishop DLC and Next-Gen Upgrade Delayed

The Marvel’s Avengers team has announced that the game’s next-gen update and Kate Bishop DLC have been delayed as part of the team’s attempt to focus on some of the title’s core issues and missing features.

“Marvel’s Avengers’ launch was not without turbulence, and we recognize that a number of issues detracted from your enjoyment of the game,” says Scot Amos, Crystal Dynamics Head of Studio. “This does not align with Crystal Dynamics’ value of craftsmanship, and for that, we sincerely apologize.”

Before we dive into some of the interesting talking points inspired by this post, let’s cover the specifics of the delays. At present, the previously planned Kate Bishop DLC has been pushed back from its planned October debut. Amos does not offer a new release date for the DLC but he does refer to this as a “slight delay,” so the hope is that fans won’t have to wait long.

Sadly, you will have to wait quite a bit longer for the now-delayed next-gen version of the game. This recent blog post confirms that the upgraded PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Marvel’s Avengers have been pushed back until next year. While Amos notes that fans who play the current-gen versions of the game on next-gen platforms will still be able to enjoy improved loading times and other performance benefits, the major enhancements promised by the proper next-gen edition of the game will not be available until a currently unconfirmed date sometime during 2021.

So what is the team working on until then? We recommend that you check out the official blog post for the full list of planned updates, but future improvements include everything from bug fixes and performance improvements to more substantial updates that will introduce new late-game missions and activities. They’re also working on adding some fan-requested features such as a ping system, a campaign reset feature, and an improved reward system that will hopefully make drops clearer and more beneficial. Fans will also be able to download what essentially amounts to an “apology” bundle (although the team calls it a “thank you” bundle) that will be available from October 22 to November 5.

To get to the heart of the matter, this is not good news for Marvel’s Avengers. Recently, the Crystal Dynamics team spoke about how they felt that the game’s upcoming content updates would help address the game’s dwindling player base. While updates are still coming, these delays and the extent of the work that the team feels must be done in the relatively near future highlights the inherent problems with Marvel’s Avengers and why the game is already being compared to Anthem, Fallout 76, and other failed/struggling live service games attached to big names.