Highlights
- MultiVersus had a strong start with an ambitious crossover fighting game concept, but shutting down its beta servers may have been a death sentence.
- Lack of consistent updates and an unsatisfactory monetization model caused a decline in player interest and a dramatic drop in the active player count.
- The long break between shutting down the beta and the full release may make it difficult for MultiVersus to regain its initial success, especially with competition from other fighting games.
It felt like Warner Bros. had a massive hit on its hands when MultiVersus exploded onto the fighting game scene back in July 2022, but the studio has since taken its beta servers offline. It will allegedly return bigger and better than ever in early 2024, and some fans are excited to see what that may look like. However, shutting the game down after its initial popularity may have been a death sentence for the crossover fighting game.
MultiVersus was following the example of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by bringing all sorts of franchises together in one exciting fighting game. The characters were great, the combat was fun, and the stages were not half bad either. It seemed like Player First Games was committed to making it the best that it could be, and that passion earned a lot of attention. That success makes the decision to close the beta strange. Not only will players be more wary of buying into it for a second time, but other fighting games may rise to take its place.
MultiVersus May Never Be Able to Come Back
MultiVersus was a massive success for Warner Bros. Games when it first launched in early access beta in July 2022. It was the biggest launch for a fighting game on Steam, most downloaded game on the PlayStation store, and was the most popular title on the Steam Deck. It would go on to amass 10 million players by August and 20 million by September. It seemed like Warner Bros. had a juggernaut on its hands, but things quickly changed as the year went by.
The initial character roster was exciting, and the season one content expanded the game's content even further. However, Player First Games was not adding enough content at a consistent basis for players to stay interested, and the monetization model left much to be desired. Players turned to other games and MultiVersus' active player count dropped dramatically. By June 2023, its playerbase was a shell of its former self.
MultiVersus was already dying before Warner Bros. announced that it was shutting it down and preparing it for a full release. So far, players have little to no sense of how the full release will be different. If Player First Games cannot keep a consistent update schedule, then players will have little reason to come back. It will likely be impossible for the game to even reach the heights it did when it first launched, and the long break between releases will make that even harder to achieve.
MultiVersus players may also be a bit less excited about buying into the game's content after the open beta shutdown. The studio had launched the open beta version with a purchasable currency and a premium Battle Pass filled with cosmetics players could earn. The inclusion of microtransactions made sense since the game was free-to-play, but it still felt off as part of a beta. After players spent their money on this content, the game closed its doors, and players have been locked out of their purchases until further notice.
MultiVersus may also lose its audience to other games during this long break. It seems like most big studios are trying to capture the success of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and that means that the genre will be getting a lot more crowded as the months go by. Players may have found another online fighting game to play by the time MultiVersus returns, such as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and it may be extremely hard for Player First Games to win those fans back.
The full release of MultiVersus is in a very tough spot when it finally hits store shelves. Players were already leaving the game in droves, they may be disinterested in buying more cosmetics, and other games may fill the void. Unless Player First Games can surprise audiences once again, this closure may have been the final nail in the coffin.
MultiVersus will launch in 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
