MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game, Condemns Threats After Shutdown

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the "threats to harm" developers that surfaced following the announcement of the game's impending shutdown. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 would mark the end of the Warner Bros. brawler, with servers set to shut down in May, just one year after its relaunch. Players will still have access to all earned and purchased content through offline modes such as local gameplay and training.

While real-money transactions have ceased, fans can continue using Gleamium and character tokens to acquire in-game content until support ends on May 30. At this point, MultiVersus will be removed from digital marketplaces including the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

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

In response, Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, took to Twitter to address these concerns and the threats directed at his team. In his statement, Huynh expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the development teams, IP holders, and the players. He highlighted the creativity and passion of the Player First Games team and apologized for not addressing the situation sooner. He also thanked the community for their fan art, character ideas, and personal stories, which were a daily highlight for the team.

Huynh explained the complexities of character selection in the game, mentioning that enthusiasm and inspiration played a significant role in creating characters like BananaGuard. He emphasized that Player First Games operates as a highly collaborative team focused on delivering value to players.

Acknowledging the pain felt by everyone involved, Huynh firmly condemned the threats of harm, stating that such actions cross a line. He expressed his deep mourning for the game and hoped that players would enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighters and fighting games.

Community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. also defended Huynh on Twitter, expressing his dismay over the threats and praising Huynh's dedication and involvement with the community. He stressed that the team at Player First Games poured their hearts into the game and hoped players would appreciate the efforts reflected in Season 5.

The shutdown of MultiVersus adds to a series of setbacks for Warner Bros. Games, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad. Warner Bros. Discovery reported financial losses from both Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League ($200 million) and MultiVersus ($100 million). The only new release from Warner Bros. Games in the third quarter of 2024, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also failed to make a significant impact.

In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of their games division and announced a strategic focus on four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy (with a sequel in development), Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Recent releases include the VR game Batman: Arkham Shadow and an upcoming Wonder Woman game by Monolith Productions. Zaslav emphasized a shift towards leveraging proven studios to enhance their success in the gaming industry.