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 discontinued, Gleamium and character tokens remain usable until 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, leading to accusations of being "scammed" and a wave of negative reviews on Steam.
Huynh's statement addressed these concerns and strongly denounced the threats: He expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the development team, IP holders, and players. He apologized for a delayed response, citing the intense focus on the team during this difficult time. He highlighted the team's dedication and creativity, acknowledging player feedback and the challenges of character selection, which involves numerous factors beyond simple community requests. He emphasized the collaborative nature of the team and their efforts to listen and respond to player feedback, while acknowledging limitations in time and resources. He pleaded for players to understand the emotional toll this closure has taken on the team and urged against further threats.
Angelo Rodriguez Jr., community manager and developer, echoed Huynh's sentiments, defending him against the personal attacks and highlighting his dedication to the game and the community.
MultiVersus's failure adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent struggles, following the poor performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which contributed to a $200 million loss, with MultiVersus adding another $100 million to that figure. The company's third-quarter 2024 release, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also underperformed.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of their games division and announced a renewed focus on four core franchises: Hogwarts Legacy (with a sequel in development), Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. This strategy involves concentrating development efforts on proven studios and established IPs to improve the success rate. While Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's post-launch content has concluded, and Rocksteady's next project remains unannounced, Mortal Kombat 1 has reportedly sold over five million copies, with future DLC planned.
