MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game, Condemns Threats After Shutdown

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the "threats to harm" developers following 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. Players can still enjoy all earned and purchased content offline through local gameplay and training modes.

Although real-money transactions for MultiVersus have ceased, players can continue using Gleamium and character tokens to access in-game content until support ends on May 30. At that time, MultiVersus will be removed from the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The announcement, coupled with the absence of a refund policy, has led to backlash from players, particularly those who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many feel "scammed," and there are reports of players with character tokens that are now useless since they had already unlocked all 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 player concerns and condemn the threats of violence directed at the team. In his statement, Huynh expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the developers at Player First Games and WB Games, and the IP holders for their trust. He also thanked the players for their support and apologized for not addressing issues sooner, emphasizing the team's focus on the game and the well-being of its members.

Huynh highlighted the joy the team derived from fan art, character ideas, and personal stories, and expressed regret for 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. He also shared the story of BananaGuard, a character created out of the team's enthusiasm and quick work over a weekend.

Huynh clarified his role within the highly collaborative environment at Player First Games, where ideas are encouraged from everyone to deliver value to players. He acknowledged the team's efforts to listen and act on community feedback, despite limitations in time and resources. He condemned the threats of harm, emphasizing the emotional toll the shutdown has taken on the team, and expressed his deep mourning for the game.

He encouraged players to enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighter and fighting games, reflecting on the positive impact these games have had on his life and the memories created through MultiVersus. Huynh concluded by thanking the community for allowing the dream of MultiVersus to become a reality, however brief, and expressed honor in working with the Player First Games team to serve the community.

Player First Games community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. defended Huynh on X/Twitter, condemning the threats of physical harm against him. Rodriguez praised Huynh's dedication to the game and the community, highlighting his efforts to engage with players and improve the game. He urged the community to consider Huynh's statement and think through their actions.

MultiVersus' shutdown adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent challenges, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad was announced amid these struggles. Warner Bros. Discovery reported significant financial losses from both games, with Suicide Squad contributing a $200 million hit and MultiVersus adding another $100 million. The company's only new release in the third quarter of 2024, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also failed to make an impact.

In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of the games business and announced a focus on four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite the challenges, Mortal Kombat 1 has reportedly sold over five million copies, with future DLC planned. Warner Bros. is also working on a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, a VR game titled Batman: Arkham Shadow, and a Wonder Woman game at Monolith Productions.