NetEase’s Overwatch clone Marvel Rivals may be riding high right now, but WB Games’ Smash clone MultiVersus from Player First Games has been having a bit of a struggle since it launched.
While fans waited for MultiVersus to get off the ground, it looks like WB is calling it quits, and the game is now set to be delisted by May.
MultiVersus Shutting Down
In an announcement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the MultiVersus official account has confirmed that Season 5 will be the final update. Here’s the post:
The official blog also has some additional statements, explaining the reasoning behind this decision:
“This decision was not made lightly… All of us on the Player First Games and Warner Bros Games teams have put our heart and soul into MultiVersus, creating a unique social and cooperative experience from the ground up that brings together a variety of popular characters and worlds.
“We are very proud of the game we have built and are incredibly thankful for the support of the MultiVersus community throughout this journey. Your passion and enthusiasm have been unmatched.”
The purchase of new content is said to have been disabled by this time, so it’s suggested that players spend their Gleamium (the in-game currency) before the season expires on May 30. Beyond that point, players can only play MultiVersus offline, fighting with AI or up to four friends.
How to Play MultiVersus Offline
To be able to play MultiVersus offline though, players do have to install the latest version of the game. It’s important that they log in during Season 5, and that should create a save file that automatically connects to your launcher’s network (PSN, Microsoft Store, Steam, etc.), which allows players to be able to enjoy all of the content they earned and purchased offline.
No Refunds
With the in-game currency primed to be obsolete in a few months, some players have been asking about whether they could refund the money they spent on the game, to which the devs have confirmed that they can’t.
What are the Fans Saying?
Though MultiVersus didn’t manage to make the numbers that WB Games was expecting, a lot of comments online did say that there was a lot of potential for the game; as it was one of the better Smash clones that was out there.
Some fans are annoyed that the developers didn’t just make all cosmetics readily available when everything goes offline. There isn’t even a way to complete their game collection once the live service ends—as far as the players know.
With the game still live until May, maybe there’s time for some fan petitions to have the devs make all the characters earnable once MultiVersus goes online. With the game eventually shutting down, there’s really nothing else for the devs or WB to lose.
It’s certainly a shame that MultiVersus didn’t manage to become the huge success that it could have been, but maybe some studio will find a way to capitalize on WB’s vast library of IP when it comes to games. While an Overwatch clone may be too out there, there’s probably some room for an Astro Bot/Mario Odyssey-type platformer filled with WB characters.
There are only so many genres to pick from.
MultiVersus’ Season 5 runs from Feb. 4 to May 30. The game is now playable for PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4|5.