MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game, Condemns Threats After Shutdown

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the "threats to harm" that developers have received following the announcement of the game's impending shutdown. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 of the Warner Bros. brawler would mark its final chapter, with the servers set to shut down in May, just a year after its relaunch. Players will still have access to all earned and purchased content offline through local and training modes.

While real-money transactions for MultiVersus have ceased, players can continue to use Gleamium and character tokens to access in-game content until support officially ends on May 30. At that time, the game will also be delisted from major platforms such as the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

Following the announcement, and with no clear refund policy in place, players who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack expressed frustration at Warner Bros. and Player First Games, feeling "scammed." Many players now find their character tokens useless, having already unlocked all available characters. Consequently, MultiVersus is experiencing a wave of negative reviews on Steam.

Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, took to Twitter to address these concerns and condemn the threats of violence directed at the team. In his statement, Huynh expressed gratitude to Warner Bros. Games, the developers, IP holders, and the players, highlighting the team's dedication and creativity. He apologized for not addressing the situation sooner and acknowledged the community's contributions, such as fan art and character ideas.

Huynh explained the complexities of character selection, using the example of BananaGuard, which was developed quickly by an enthusiastic team over a weekend. He emphasized the collaborative nature of Player First Games and their commitment to delivering value to players, despite limitations in time and resources.

He also addressed the emotional impact of the shutdown on the team, urging the community to refrain from threats and to enjoy the final season. Huynh expressed hope that players would continue to support other platform fighters and fighting games, reflecting on the positive impact these games have had on his life and the community.

Angelo Rodriguez Jr., Player First Games' community manager and game developer, defended Huynh on Twitter, highlighting his dedication and the team's efforts. Rodriguez stressed that threats of physical harm are unacceptable and urged the community to appreciate the team's hard work and the improvements made in the final season.

MultiVersus' shutdown adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent struggles, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad and the financial impact of these game failures—$200 million from Suicide Squad and an additional $100 million from MultiVersus—have been significant. Warner Bros. Discovery's only new release in the third quarter of 2024, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also failed to make a mark.

In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of their games business and announced a focus on four core franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite the challenges, Mortal Kombat 1 has seen over five million sales, and Warner Bros. is moving forward with projects like Batman: Arkham Shadow and a Wonder Woman game.