The free-to-play platform fighter MultiVersus launched its open beta alongside a strong marketing campaign last year, but hype surrounding the title died down leading up to its current hiatus. Featuring various iconic characters under the Warner Bros. umbrella from Bugs Bunny to Arya Stark, MultiVersus initially managed to reach hundreds of thousands of players with its Super Smash Bros. inspired, team-based gameplay. Interest may have waned for the title over time, but it still has a chance to bounce back into the spotlight when it fully launches in early 2024 if it can recapture the spark it initially generated.
MultiVersus came as part of a wave of new platform fighters, but the biggest names competing with Smash Bros. are almost all in a strange place relative to their inspiration now. Released just a year prior in 2021, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl followed a very similar course to Warner Bros.’ outing in the genre that wasn’t helped by its full box price. Regardless of its current status, however, the Nickelodeon crossover performed decently enough at launch that rumors of a sequel to All-Star Brawl have begun circulating already. With untapped potential similar to that of its Nickelodeon competitor ready to be unlocked, MultiVersus has one big strength it could lean into.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Followed a Similar Path to MultiVersus
The developer of MultiVersus may have actively chosen to end its open beta in June with the conclusion of the game’s second season, but interest in the title had already been fading along with support from major influencers. Seeing an over 99% drop in player count in the months following its initial release, MultiVersus clearly lacked something that Super Smash Bros. brings to the table. One simple fact of the matter is that while Smash’s roster consists of countless icons under a more cohesive brand, the Warner Bros. ensemble of characters has nowhere near the same level of unity.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is composed of nothing but major faces from its singular brand, but that game’s lack of lasting success can be attributed to a completely different issue. While it may seem minor, the lack of voice acting until a major patch for All-Star Brawl in 2022 may have been the biggest thing holding the game back. When characters from Spongebob to Nigel Thornberry can’t even utter a single one of their famous lines in a huge crossover, it dampens the impact of the entire event. The title’s unpolished visuals similarly played a role in its downfall, but a game like All-Star Brawl ultimately relies much more heavily upon heart than technical fidelity. It has the characters, but not the impact, whereas Multiversus follows a similar, if inverted, trend.
More Cartoon Network Characters Would Give MultiVersus a Cohesive Roster
All-Star Brawl's sequel may bring fierce competition if it manages to overcome the original’s shortcomings, but MultiVersus could match this power with one of Warner Bros. most classic properties. Containing a multitude of iconic casts between years of high-quality programming, Cartoon Network is one of the most beloved television channels of its era. A direct competitor to Nickelodeon, similarly capitalizing on nostalgic, classic shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls, and Ed, Edd n Eddy could allow MultiVersus to shine with star power more befitting of its art style.
Alternatives to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in MultiVersus and All-Star Brawl alike have fallen short of recreating the platform fighter’s magic, but that doesn’t make it an impossible feat. Indie title Rivals of Aether has found a dedicated fanbase with its Melee-inspired gameplay despite its lack of big-name licensed characters, while Brawlhalla is a great example of a title with a free-to-play model that has succeeded in the genre. There is no shortage of support for media focused on older beloved characters from Cartoon Network, and it stands to reason that MultiVersus can bounce back bigger than ever if it truly utilizes the Warner Bros library.
MultiVersus is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.