Marvel's Avengers has been a bit of a mixed bag since its launch in September. On one hand, the game has a surprisingly good campaign that tells a strong superhero story; but on the other hand, the endgame falls completely on its face. Avengers has already started losing players, but Square Enix is confident that future content will bring them back.

Unfortunately, the post-launch plans for Avengers have hit a bit of a snag on next-gen. Originally the game was supposed to come to PS5 and Xbox Series X at the two console's launch, but it's now been pushed into 2021.

It's certainly not the first time a live-service game has had to rework things, with Anthem being the biggest example. It's obviously a bit disappointing for Avengers fans hoping for a next-gen experience, but ultimately the delay is for the best.

Marvel's Avengers Isn't At A Next-Gen Level Yet


Marvel's Avengers had a variety of issues when it launched, including a wealth of bugs, matchmaking issues, and a lack of engaging endgame content. The matchmaking issues can mostly be traced to the lack of crossplay, as each system has to use its own player base. This especially hurt the PC crowd, as a small player base made it nearly impossible to use matchmaking for multiplayer. In Square Enix's most recent State of the Game update, it says "We’ve also made the decision to shift our PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch to next year to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be."

This most likely means that the game simply isn't up to next-gen standards, whether that has to do with resolution and framerate, overall bugs, or problems with cross-play. Square Enix has no plans to feature full crossplay in Avengers, but PS4 players will be able to play with PS5, and Xbox One players with Xbox Series X|S. Considering the long list of fixes coming to the current versions, it makes sense that Crystal Dynamics simply didn't have the time to prep the next-gen versions for launch. So much time has had to be spent simply fixing issues and getting the game up to speed. It's a bit of a loss honestly, as Avengers being available on next-gen consoles at launch would have helped drive even more sales and keep the experience on track with content. Now, however, it's like Avengers needs to take a break before it can come back restructured.

Marvel's Avengers is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One and will come to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2021.