MultiVersus Closure Sparks Threats

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly condemned the threats of violence directed at the development team following the announcement of the game's closure. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 would be the final season, with servers shutting down this May, just a year after its relaunch. Offline access to purchased and earned content will remain via local and training modes.

While in-game purchases are no longer possible, players can still utilize Gleamium and character tokens until support ends on May 30th. The game will also be delisted from major digital storefronts.

The announcement, coupled with the absence of a refund policy, sparked outrage among players, particularly those who purchased the $100 Founder's Pack. Many feel cheated, especially those with unused character tokens after unlocking all characters. Unsurprisingly, MultiVersus is experiencing a wave of negative reviews on Steam.

Huynh's statement addressed player concerns and strongly denounced the threats:

"Hey all, I wanted to say a few words...While I'm sad about the outcome...I couldn’t be prouder of the work the PFG team did. Their endless creativity and passion never ceased to inspire and amaze me. And of course I wanted to thank every player who has ever played or supported MultiVersus...I apologize for not addressing things sooner...I’m sorry if we couldn’t get to your favorite character...I don’t have the power some you think I do...I also hope that the community notices that we try to listen and act...I know that this is painful for everyone...but I have to call this out, you’re entitled to what you say and think, but when there are threats to harm it’s crossing the line...Nobody wanted this outcome and it wasn’t from lack of caring or effort...I hope that you will all continue supporting other platform fighter and fighting games...I hope that we played a small part and that you can look back on MVS and find some joy...It has been an honor to work alongside the team at PFG to serve our community and players."

Angelo Rodriguez Jr., community manager and developer, echoed Huynh's sentiments on X/Twitter, defending him against the threats and highlighting his dedication to the game and the community.

MultiVersus' failure adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent struggles, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the underwhelming performance of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. Warner Bros. Discovery acknowledged the underperformance of its games division, citing significant financial losses attributed to both Suicide Squad and MultiVersus.

In response, Warner Bros. is reportedly focusing its efforts on key franchises like Hogwarts Legacy (with a sequel in development), Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC properties, especially Batman. This strategy involves concentrating development on proven studios to improve success rates. While Mortal Kombat 1 has reportedly sold over five million copies, the financial performance remains under scrutiny.