Marvel's Avengers patch fixes bug that was exposing streamer IP addresses

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The PS5 security issued appeared following the release of the 1.8.0 patch.

iron Man gets ready to go free-to-play.
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Update: Crystal Dynamics says the problem is now fixed, and Marvel's Avengers players on PS5 can stream safely. 

Crystal Dynamics has issued a warning against streaming Marvel's Avengers gameplay, as it appears that the 1.8.0 patch released today is causing the PlayStation 5 version of the game to reveal player IP addresses to viewers.

Shortly after the patch went live, Crystal Dynamics said that it was investigating an issue causing "a floating string of text" to appear on players' screens. Nearly an hour later, the studio asked users to "refrain from streaming for now if you're experiencing this issue."

Crystal Dynamics did not specify what the text in question is, but multiple Twitter users did: It was IP addresses belonging to streamers. Needless to say, they were not happy about it. Forbes confirmed the claims that Marvel's Avengers is in fact displaying IP addresses at the bottom of players' screens.

Revealing IP addresses is a major violation of privacy. As we said in this guide to using VPNs, your PC's IP address "is a digital fingerprint that identifies you on the internet." IP addresses can be used to target DDoS attacks, or even to track physical location, a potentially serious problem at a time when streamers regularly face threats and swattings.

A couple hours after the initial tweet, Crystal Dynamics confirmed that Marvel's Avengers is exposing personal information, including IP addresses, but clarified that it only appears to be happening on the PlayStation 5 version of the game. A fix is expected tomorrow.

We tested Marvel's Avengers on Steam and did not encounter the problem, so you should be safe if you're playing on PC—although out of an abundance of caution, you might want to double-check if you decide to play online, just to be sure. I've reached out to Crystal Dynamics for more information on the problem, and will update if I receive a reply.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.