There’s no getting around the fact that Warner Bros. Games has been having a tough year. AfterSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguefailed to capture audiences, the publisher’s platform fighterMultiVersusannounced it would be closing its servers on May 30, barely one full year after the game saw its full release. After that date, the game will become unavailable for download and will be a strictly offline title.
The game had an extremely embattled lifespan, even as early as the beta. Though it initially found a massive audience, content drops eventually slowed down, and player counts soon cratered as a result. Even after returning from beta with a fully revamped game, player counts still dropped month after month until the recent shutdown notice. Despite all this,MultiVersushas managed to cultivate a sizable cult following. That same passionate fanbase has been taking to social media to let Warner Bros. and the world know thatMultiVersusis just too good of an idea to let die out so easily.
MultiVersus Fans are Right: The Game Deserves a Second Chance
Despite Fan Outcry, Nothing is Saving the Current Iteration of MultiVersus
In the wake of the shutdown announcement, fans of the platform fighter started setting social media ablaze with cries to keep the game alive after the May 30 deadline. #SaveMultiVersus took X by storm and has been trending on and off since news of the shutdown hit the zeitgeist. Sadly, these pleas are more than likely futile.Warner Bros. Games lost more than $100 million on live service ventureslikeMultiVersusandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game has not been making the money WB had hoped for and no amount of fan demand is going to change that reality.
But the fans' hearts are in the right place. With theSeason 5 update,MultiVersusis finally the game it should have beenat launch; the overall speed of matches has been dramatically increased, there are multiple free avenues through which to unlock characters, additional defensive options outside just dodging, and fan favorites like Raven, Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack have made it onto the roster after extensive requests. Just asMultiVersusseemed to be reaching its full potential, the game started to sunset. And while nothing is going to stop the servers forMultiVersusfrom shutting down as planned, the demand is very clearly there for more of the game.
The Concept of MultiVersus is Too Good to Let Die
On paper,MultiVersussounds like a smash hit success. Beloved characters from properties likeDC Comics, Loony Toons, Adventure Time, The Matrix, Gremlins, andFriday the 13thall getting together for their own version ofSuper Smash Bros.seems like a million-dollar idea. Outside of something likeFortnite, where characters are simply reduced to skins,MultiVersusmay have been one of the most ambitious crossover titles in all of gaming, and with decades anddecades of unused IP sitting in WB’s backlog, the roster potential seems like something that never became all it could.
And based onMultiVersus' earliest player numbers,MultiVersus’ concept was clearly something very appealing. The idea is a golden goose. It was the lackluster execution that needed refining into something that keeps players engaged and spending money at a sustainable rate. An issue that could be easily resolved with another staple of fighting game franchises: a sequel.
MultiVersus 2 Can and Should Happen
While any hope for saving the current iteration ofMultiVersusis dead in the water, there may be a second life for the franchise in the form of a sequel. Developer Player First Games (or whatever studio is tasked with bringing back the crossover IP) can learn from the mistakes of the original game. Make a sequel, bring back and expand the existing roster, add more stages, and charge a double AA price point for it and cosmetic microtransactions.MultiVersuswas wrongheaded about its monetization/character unlock methods, but a sequel built on an already solid foundation could fix those issues.
Right now it’s too early to say what will happen to theMultiVersusIP itself. It is entirely possible that the game shuts down in May and languishes as a cult favorite with LAN tournaments cropping up every now and again. MaybeMultiVersuswill becomea footnote in the history of the FGCas yet anotherSmashcompetitor that never lived up to the hype.
But the roster was there. The gameplay (after some tweaks) was there. And most importantly, the fans are still there. There’s a lot more story left to tell forMultiVersus.All it takes is a second chance with the right ideas, passion, and lessons learned to help the concept reach its fullest potential.
MultiVersus
WHERE TO PLAY
CHARACTERS: Choose from Bugs Bunny, Batman, Arya Stark, Rick Sanchez, and many more. In MultiVersus, every star brings their unique moves, worlds and attitudes to fight. And as the roster expands, so does the spectacle — with new personalities and play styles turning up the heat in every battle.MAPS: Our maps turn legendary realms like the Batman’s Bat Cave, Jake and Finn’s Treefort, Game of Thrones’ Throne Room into epic battle grounds. And the best part? We’re adding new maps regularly, so the party never stops!MODES: Whether you’re seeking the intensity of 1v1, the frenzy of a 4-player mayhem, or team up for strategic 2v2 battles, we’ve got you covered. Plus, introducing an all new PvE mode, a thrilling realm of limitless combat possibilities designed for solo or co-op play.CROSS-PLATFORM: MultiVersus has full cross-play and cross-progression support across all platforms.
