MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game, Condemns Threats After Shutdown

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the "threats to harm" developers that followed 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 servers set to go offline in May, just a year after its relaunch. While players can still access earned and purchased content offline through local and training modes, real-money transactions have ceased. Fans can continue using Gleamium and character tokens until support ends on May 30, after which MultiVersus will be removed from digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The announcement, coupled with the lack of a refund policy, has led to backlash from players, particularly those who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack, feeling "scammed." Many are frustrated, as their character tokens are now useless, having already unlocked all available characters. As a result, MultiVersus has faced review bombing on Steam.

In response, Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his reflections on the game's closure and to address the concerning threats directed at the development team. He expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the developers at Player First Games and WB Games, and the IP holders for their trust and collaboration. He also thanked the players for their support and acknowledged the hard work and passion of the PFG team.

Huynh apologized for the delay in addressing the situation, citing his focus on the game and team during this difficult period. He highlighted the joy the community's fan art, character ideas, and personal stories brought to the team and expressed regret over not being able to include every fan-favorite character. He explained the complexities behind character selection, including development time, community feedback, IP holder approvals, and cross-marketing opportunities, using the example of BananaGuard, a character created out of team enthusiasm.

He also clarified his role within the company, noting that Player First Games operates as a highly collaborative team where ideas from anyone are valued. Huynh emphasized the team's efforts to listen to and act on community feedback, despite limitations in time and resources. He condemned the threats of harm, calling them a line that should not be crossed, and expressed his deep mourning for the game's end, hoping players would enjoy the final season and continue supporting other platform fighter and fighting games.

Community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. supported Huynh on X, defending him against the threats and describing Huynh's dedication to the game and community. Rodriguez highlighted Huynh's late-night engagement with streams, his responsiveness to player messages, and his efforts to improve the game, underscoring the team's commitment despite the challenging circumstances.

The shutdown of MultiVersus adds to a series of setbacks for Warner Bros. Games, following the troubled launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad. The parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, reported significant financial losses from these games, with Suicide Squad contributing a $200 million hit and MultiVersus adding another $100 million. The company's only new release in Q3 2024, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, failed to make a significant impact.

During 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. Recent releases include Batman: Arkham Shadow on Meta Quest 3, and a Wonder Woman game is in development at Monolith Productions. Zaslav emphasized the company's commitment to these core franchises and working with proven studios to enhance their success rate.