MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game, Condemns Threats After Shutdown

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the severe backlash, including "threats to harm" developers, following the announcement that the game will shut down in May. Player First Games, the developer behind the Warner Bros. brawler, revealed last week that Season 5 will mark the end of the game, which relaunched just a year ago. Players can still enjoy their earned and purchased content offline through local gameplay and training modes.

With real-money transactions now discontinued, players can continue using Gleamium and character tokens until the support ends on May 30. At that point, MultiVersus will be removed from digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store. The lack of a refund policy has fueled anger among players, particularly those who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many feel "scammed," and there's frustration over character tokens becoming useless after unlocking all available characters. Consequently, the game is experiencing review-bombing on Steam.

In a heartfelt tweet, Huynh expressed gratitude towards the Warner Bros. Games team, IP holders, and the players. He apologized for the delay in addressing concerns, emphasizing the team's dedication and the emotional toll of the shutdown. He also highlighted the creative process behind character selection and development, using BananaGuard as an example of the team's passion-driven work.

Huynh condemned the threats of violence, urging the community to understand the team's distress and sadness. He encouraged players to enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighters and fighting games, which have positively impacted his life and career.

Player First Games' community manager and game developer, Angelo Rodriguez Jr., defended Huynh on social media, decrying the threats of physical harm and praising Huynh's dedication and engagement with the community. Rodriguez stressed the team's commitment to improving the game right up until the end.

MultiVersus' closure adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent challenges, following the disappointing launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Warner Bros. Discovery reported that the failure of these games cost the company $300 million. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad and the underwhelming performance of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions have further compounded issues for the company.

In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of their games business and announced a strategic focus on four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite the setbacks, Mortal Kombat 1 has sold over five million copies, and Warner Bros. continues to develop new titles, including a VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and a Wonder Woman game at Monolith Productions.