Highlights

  • MultiVersus attempts a comeback on May 28th with new features, but faces the challenge of filling its own shoes after a quick decline.
  • The game struggled with player retention due to unbalanced content and lack of PvE, but hopes to redeem itself with updates and improvements.
  • While there is precedent for games like MultiVersus to make a comeback, it will need to carefully navigate an oversaturated market and meet critical expectations.

MultiVersus may have been popular on launch, but its 15 minutes of fame wrapped up quickly—with the game going offline in 2023. However, the Warner Bros. brawler is attempting a comeback on May 28th, with a new assortment of features promised for its return. There are a few elements in MultiVersus' favor, but the game will have to do a lot to re-fill its own shoes.

An open beta of MultiVersus was released back in July 2022, kicking off with more than a little success. Despite being propped up by an initial wave of influencer support, MultiVersus lost almost all of its players. By February 2023, 99.3% of players had left—at least among those on Steam. With this mass exodus, the game's open beta had to close its doors, with little left to sustain any fans who have stuck around.

Multiversus x Brawlhalla
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MultiVersus Needs To Hit It Big A Second Time

Earlier this year, Player First Games returned with a number of announcements about the MultiVersus relaunch. Its full release on May 28 will come with new maps, redone graphics, combat reworks, new netcode, PvE, and more. This is already looking like a substantial offering for new and old fans alike, much of which will go a long way. On the other hand, the challenge remains; MultiVersus already succeeded once and died out—now it has to succeed again. Its success on launch was already something many games covet, but achieving that task again after its plight will be tough.

MultiVersus Will Need To Meet Critical Expectations

MultiVersus' fall wasn't without prompting, as the game had a fair share of problems. Not only did new content slow down over time, but the new content that did come to the game was consistently unbalanced. A major example of this was Morty, an addition to the roster who was banned from the game's ranked mode thanks to an exploit. Moreover, the game's pivot to a live service, battle-pass model brought it into a more competitive market that's been oversaturated for a long time. That same multiplayer focus also left no PvE content for solo players to chew on, in contrast to the robust campaign of something like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Luckily for MultiVersus, there's reason for hope with the changes that have been announced. Not only is the game receiving graphical and netcode improvements, but combat reworks that could solve MultiVersus' balancing woes. As well as this, the PvE content that Player First Games has promised will go a long way to making the title feel like a full, well-rounded package on release. It will also grant the game more longevity and capability for retention, especially if solo modes are well-received.

There's A Precedent For Games Making A Comeback

On the subject of hope, there is a precedent for games like MultiVersus receiving a second wind. Perhaps the most notable example of a game having a redemption arc would be No Man's Sky, with Cyberpunk 2077 close behind. However, more applicable to MultiVersus would be Fall Guys—which followed a similar trajectory to MultiVersus; the game rose and fell, but was able to make a return. The increased number of games having a return from the dead is an inevitable symptom of patch culture which, while a flawed aspect of the industry, at least bodes well for MultiVersus.

Despite this potential for revival, Player First Games still need to be careful. With crossovers and multiverse stories becoming oversaturated, audiences of 2024 are far less enthused by concepts like Multiversus. This goes double for the lack of cohesion between its IPs, something that's much stronger in rival games. MultiVersus will need to check all the boxes on its return if it wants to avoid another trip to obscurity.