Nintendo found a winning formula with its Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting game series, with various attempts over the years by other companies to replicate that success. Some have gotten close and generated decent buzz, like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl earlier this year, but none have managed to take Smash Bros.' crown. The next game to challenge Super Smash Bros. is the newly announced MultiVersus, a crossover platform fighting game with a roster comprised primarily of Warner Bros. characters.
MultiVersus was leaked sometime ago, but now it's official. MultiVersus will be free-to-play when it launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2022, and it's bringing with it dedicated servers, rollback netcode, and seasonal content. The characters include DC Comics heroes like Batman and Superman, as well as Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, fulfilling the meme of seeing Shaggy in a fighting game.
One of the ways that MultiVersus hopes to stand out from other platform fighting games is its focus on 2v2 cooperative play (1v1 and 4-player free for all modes will also be available), with players able to take advantage of their teammates' abilities. One of the examples given in the MultiVersus reveal trailer is Jake the Human from Adventure Time utilizing a rabbit hole made by his partner Bugs Bunny. Another example given was Arya Stark from Game of Thrones using her face-swapping power to "complement" Superman's laser vision.
MultiVersus Roster
- Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)
- Batman
- Bugs Bunny
- Finn the Human (Adventure Time)
- Garnet (Steven Universe)
- Harley Quinn
- Jake the Dog (Adventure Time)
- Reindog
- Shaggy (Scooby-Doo)
- Steven Universe
- Superman
- Tom and Jerry
- Wonder Woman
The MultiVersus roster of characters will be voiced by the actors that have been playing them for years, with Kevin Conroy voicing Batman, Tara Strong voicing Harley Quinn, Matthew Lillard voicing Shaggy, Maisie Williams voicing Arya Stark, John DiMaggio voicing Jake the Dog, etc. The use of voice lines should also ensure that MultiVersus immediately addresses one of the big complaints that fans had about Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl when it released earlier this year.
As far as stages go, a complete list has not been revealed at the time of this writing, but some examples can be seen in the trailer and have been announced by Warner Bros. When MultiVersus launches in 2022, fans can expect to battle it out in iconic locations like Batman's Batcave and the Tree Fort from Adventure Time, not to mention what appears to be Wonder Woman's home city of Themyscira.
With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate development ending, there is certainly room for another platform fighter to step up and take the spotlight. Whether or not MultiVersus is able to do so in a satisfying way remains to be seen, but fighting game fans will find out when it launches next year.
MultiVersus is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X for release in 2022.
