Back in the fall of 2021, rumors and leaks began to spread regarding an unannounced platform fighter from Warner Bros., bringing together characters from the likes of Looney Tunes, DC, Scooby-Doo and even live action franchises like Game of Thrones. These reports started popping up around the same time as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had released its final DLC character, so this seemed like the perfect time for a new crossover brawler to take its place. In November, the game MultiVersus wasofficially announced, with crossplay support across a variety of platforms and a series of closed early access tests slated until theopen beta would begin in July 2022. Unlike Super Smash Bros., MultiVersus placed a focus on 2v2 battles, with certain characters having passive or support abilities to strengthen their teammate during fights, creating a strong balance between cooperation and competition.
This unique gameplay approach was bolstered by an extensive cast of fully-voiced characters, with seventeen fighters being available at the start of the open beta and six more being added at a regular pace through November 2022. The open beta was widely considered a success for the first few months,topping the sales charts in its launch monthdespite being a free-to-play title, and boasting over twenty million players by September. The title was even nominated for and won several gaming awards despite its early access descriptor, winning Best Fighting Game at both the Game Awards and the DICE Awards.
After Marvin the Martian was added to the roster in November 2022, regular updates surrounding the game began to slow down, with little word on social media channels on when players can expect new characters or features to come to the open beta. This led to a sharp drop in regular players by February 2023, as an assumed holiday break carried over to the next year and led its community to question what the developer Player First Games had in store for MultiVersus, if anything.
Finally, in March last year, it was announced thatMultiVersus would be taking an extended breakas the open beta prepared to come to a close. By April, the game was delisted from digital storefronts, and servers were taken offline by June, leaving owners of the game with sole access to local matches and training regardless of whether they had spent money on a Founder’s Pack or the game’s premium currency.
This was understandably upsetting news for dedicated players, who were under the impression that the game would remain fully playable until the official launch much like many other free-to-play or early access titles. There was a silver lining:, though: Player First Games would continue to work on MultiVersus after the open beta had closed, and the game would return for an official launch in early 2024, with an improved content cadence, updated netcode and progression systems and the promise that all earned or purchased content would carry over to the full release.
After an extended period of radio silence, news about MultiVersus returned last month as Tony Huynh, game director and co-founder at Player First Games, announced that the full launch of the platform fighter would take place on May 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to taking feedback from the open beta, the developer used the downtime to transition the game to Unreal Engine 5 for an enhanced presentation, and reiterated their commitment to improving the netcode for a more stable and reliable online multiplayer experience.
Although no new characters were announced in the trailer, all the existing characters would be receiving new attacks and combat mechanics, and an all-new PvE mode was also teased with its own “unique rewards,” although it remains to be seen if that will be a solo or cooperative mode. Along with early concept art for new stages and more “exciting, brand-new personalities” coming to the roster, there seems to be plenty for both new and returning players to check out when the game re-launches next month.
As the return of MultiVersus approaches, some questions still remain. Will Player First Games hold true to their promise of an improved flow of new characters, stages and features, or will players have to endure another extended period without new updates as development continues? Will players once again be enticed to spend money to gain early access to the launch, and will the in-game and real world monetary costs for new characters remain similar to how they were in the open beta? And perhaps most importantly, can players trust using their hard-earned cash on a game that was already unexpectedly shut down before, during a time in gaming when server shutdowns and game delistings are more common than ever?
Even after MultiVersus re-launches, Player First Games and Warner Bros. will need to spend lots of time working with the community to assuage these concerns and justify all the time and potential money spent on their newest fighting game. For now, we’ll wait and see how the new era of MultiVersus begins when the free-to-play game launches on May 28.
