The fighting game community is gradually stepping into the newest generation of video game consoles, and many are wondering what the biggest developers in the genre are working on. This feeling is most acute for NetherRealm fans, as no one is sure what game is coming down the pipeline next. Ever since NetherRealm Studios confirmed Mortal Kombat 11’s development was over, the Internet has been buzzing with rumors concerning Mortal Kombat 12, Injustice 3, a Marvel fighting game, and even larger crossovers. It’s hard to say what’s real at this point.
Now another rumor has been thrown onto the pile, and it might be the strangest one yet. According to Reddit user hugeleakeractually, NetherRealm Studios may be working on a Super Smash Bros. clone titled Multiversus. This platform fighter would supposedly collect characters from many properties that Warner Bros. owns and pit them against each other in the style of Smash and the recent Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. This seems contrary to all the work NetherRealm has done in fighting games, but it may be happening - just not exactly as the rumors might have one believe.
What is Multiversus?
Multiversus is supposedly a platform fighter that has the unique twist of being a tag-team fighter. This would make it the first major instance of such a game, though some older titles like Jump Super Stars have approached the idea before. The leaker who brought forth the news stated they weren’t sure whether the “tag” part would manifest as mid-fight tagging, pairs of characters like the Ice Climbers, or if characters are switched when one loses a stock. It seems likely it would be the first option if this is the direction the game is going in.
A preliminary list of characters was also leaked, and it looks quite strong. Taking characters from throughout the Warner Bros. catalog, it seems an attempt to emulate the wide range of crossovers already seen in films like the LEGO movies and Space Jam 2. Known characters include Shaggy, Gandalf, Tom and Jerry, Batman, Fred Flintstone, Mad Max, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Johnny Bravo. There is a suspicious lack of Mortal Kombat characters on that list, and while the color ninjas are likely to show up in the final game, that does bring up another question.
What Is NetherRealm’s Involvement in Multiversus?
NetherRealm might be WB’s star fighting game developer, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for a platform fighter. Nothing in NetherRealm’s history with Injustice and Mortal Kombat indicates it could do the genre well, especially considering the genre mostly focused on speedy play, which NetherRealm has been moving away from for a long time. Its games are known for their deliberate stiffness, and even its typical realistic art direction would clash with the many cartoons Multiversus could involve. As leaks would suggest, these concerns may hold water.
Industry insider and journalist Jeff Grubb corroborated that the Warner Bros. platform fighter is real, but is not being developed by NetherRealm. The true developer is unknown, but NetherRealm is likely providing some of its talent to support the project. At any rate, after the initial leak, a new trademark filed near the end of September by Warner Bros. was discovered for a title called Multiversus. The leaker claims they didn’t know about the trademark when they wrote up the leak, so it does seem like something called Multiversus may be coming down the pipeline. If it has been in development for a while like the leaker claims, NetherRealm fans may soon be able to get some confirmation on what the developer has or has not been working on.