The fighting genre has been one of gaming's most popular since the very dawn of the industry. Beginning with Sega's Heavyweight Champ in 1976, fighting games have never left the popular zeitgeist, only continuing to grow more popular over the years, with series like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat all remaining immensely popular today. But as the genre has continued to grow over the decades, it's also continued to evolve, and the market's started to see the rise of new contenders, like MultiVersus.
Published by Warner Bros. Interactive, MultiVersus takes a lot of inspiration from Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series, but does make some significant changes to a handful of core mechanics, such as introducing a class system. Being a live-service game, MultiVersus is intended to grow gradually over time, but the game has started off surprisingly well, already boasting a stacked roster that brings together 17 characters from across Warner Bros. vast library of licenses, from Game of Thrones to DC to Looney Tunes.
MultiVerus' Complete Roster
The biggest percentage of MultiVersus' current characters hail from the realm of Cartoon Network. Coming from Adventure Time, both Finn and Jake are on the roster. Fitting into the Assassin class, Finn is among the most powerful characters in the game right now, with a far-reaching sword, and a spinning backpack move that's become infamous across the internet. Jake, on the other hand, is a Bruiser, who's moves may not be as overwhelming as Finn's, but they are some of the game's most creative.
Two characters from Steven Universe, Garnet and Steven himself, appear on the roster. Garnet isn't one of MultiVersus' most played Bruisers, but she is pretty good at absorbing oncoming projectiles. Steven, on the other hand, is considered by some to be the worst character in MultiVersus right now, being a Support character that struggles to hold his own in a fight.
While these next few characters didn't start out as Cartoon Network properties, subsequent series and various spin-offs have been produced through the animation company over the last decade or so. Tom and Jerry, counted as just one character, are a Mage hero, and are currently considered one of the most tricky characters to play as due to their lengthy move set-ups. Shaggy and Velma from Scooby-Doo make an appearance, with the latter being a solid Support character, and the former being a well-rounded Bruiser.
The DC license also has a pretty sizeable presence in MultiVersus. First up is Wonder Woman, who takes on the Tank role and comes equipped with her Lasso of Truth, sword, and shield. Despite being the first character players unlock, Wonder Woman isn't often seen in the competitive scene, mostly due to her reliance on other teammates needing to dish out damage while she provides armor.
Taking on an Assassin role, Harley Quinn is slightly more popular, with some fast-hitting, easy-to-learn combos, making her a good character for those just starting out. Batman and Superman round out DC's MultiVersus presence, with the former being a Bruiser and the latter being a Tank. While Batman's grappling hook is the perfect tool for delivering swift justice and escaping to safety, Superman's kit is defined by rapid-fire punches and powerful grabs.
Taz and Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes have both made the cut. Though Taz started out being completely overpowered with his spin attack, that's since been nerfed pretty heavily, leaving him a little redundant. Bugs, however, remains to be one of MultiVersus' strongest, most well-rounded fighters, though that could change with the MultiVersus Season 1 patch.
The rest of MultiVersus' roster is filled out by a variety of characters from across WB's catalog. Game of Thrones' Arya Stark is an Assassin, with a high skill requirement. The Iron Giant is a bit of a double-edged sword, capable of delivering devastating blows, but also having a gigantic hitbox himself. LeBron James has a very unique moveset, revolving around keeping possession of a basketball, and Reindog is a completely original character for MultiVersus, being a Support character capable of pulling allies up from their doom.
As is the nature of any live-service game, MultiVersus is going to continue to get new characters, and the first set have already been confirmed. Coming with the start of Season 1, Morty, from Rick and Morty, should be added to MultiVersus' roster on August 23, with Rick following at a later date. DC will get another character with Black Adam, and Gremlins' little murderer Stripe is on his way, though dates haven't been given for their inclusion either.
MultiVersus is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
