Warner Bros. is doubling down on Multiversus

By Carli Velocci Published July 22, 2024

Bugs Bunny holding a pie in Multiversus. — Warner Bros. Games

Warner Bros. Games is making its continued collaboration with MultiVersus developer Player First Games official, announcing that it’s acquired the studio for an undisclosed sum on Monday.

The two companies have been working together on the live-service Warner Bros.-inspired Smash Bros. competitor alongside Warner Bros. Games San Diego, which is providing production support. The game just relaunched in May after going offline following its open beta period in 2022.

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“We have worked with Player First Games over several years to create and launch MultiVersus, and we are very pleased to welcome this talented team to Warner Bros. Games,” says Warner Bros. Games President David Haddad in a press release.

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The move will allow the two studios to work closely together, but it’s also a symbol of how much Warner Bros. is investing in MultiVersus.

“We are working to make the MultiVersus game experience the best it can be and having our development team integrated with the publisher is optimum for the players,” Player First co-founder Tony Huynh says.

Warner Bros. has made its love of MultiVersus and live-service games in general clear to investors. Earlier this year, the company’s president of streaming and games J.B. Perrette said that it would be focusing on video games related to established IP, like Hogwarts Legacy, live-service titles like MultiVersus, and free-to-play offerings. This was after the multiplayer live-service Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League flopped.

And MultiVersus is not only live-service and free-to-play but can potentially support every IP in Warner Bros.’ giant library.

And the company is still continuously updating the game post relaunch. It was just announced at Evo 2024 that Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice are coming to the game in Season 2. Ranked mode is also set to arrive when the season starts on Tuesday. At the time of this writing, there are 27 playable characters from across the Warner Bros. brands, including everything from Jake the Dog and Finn the Human from Adventure Time to LeBron James. Season 1 added Agent Smith from the Matrix films and Jason from Friday the 13th.

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Contributor, Games

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

Gaming

MultiVersus to shut down in June ahead of relaunch in 2024

Batman holding Shaggy.

MultiVersus' Open Beta is getting shut down on June 25, but the game isn't shutting down for good. Instead, developer Player First Games and publisher WB Games are taking MultiVersus offline ahead of a planned relaunch in early 2024.
MultiVersus - Open Beta Update
The fighting game, which is Warner Bros. version of Super Smash Bros., launched last year to some acclaim from fans and critics. Despite an initial wave of popularity, the game's active player base tanked in 2023, dropping by 99% at one point. Now, the game will largely go offline while the developers work towards an official 1.0 release. Game director Tony Huynh explained the unusual move in a video and FAQ detailing what's next.
"There is still a lot of work to do, and we have a clearer view on where we need to focus, specifically on the content cadence of new characters, maps, and modes to provide more ways to enjoy the game, along with netcode and matchmaking improvements," says Huynh. "We’ll also be reworking the progression system and looking at new ways for players to connect with friends in the game ... As part of this process, we’ll be pausing updates and taking the game offline as we prepare for the launch of MultiVersus, which we are targeting for early 2024."
After June 25, those who have MultiVersus downloaded will only be able to play offline modes like training and local multiplayer. The game will no longer be available to download and premium currency Gleamium will no longer be available for purchase after April 4. To compensate, MultiVersus' Season 2 battle pass is being extended until March 25, and all purchased items and progression will be carried over to next year's launch.
While players got the impression that MultiVersus was going to stay live from open beta through its 1.0 launch, that is apparently not the case. Hopefully, Player First Games and WB Games stick to their word and do eventually re-release the game, as it could be better with some much-needed improvements.
MultiVersus' Open Beta ends on June 25, with the full game's launch slated for early 2024.

Gaming

Mortal Kombat 12 is coming out this year, according to Warner Bros.

While Mortal Kombat and Injustice developer NetherRealm Studios has been secretive about what its next game is, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav spoiled the surprise during the company's latest earnings call: it's Mortal Kombat 12, and it's coming out this year.
Speaking about WB Games' upcoming lineup, Zaslav stated that the "highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12" is in the works alongside Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which was featured in a State of Play showcase that took place around the same time. Zaslav says Mortal Kombat 12 is "set for release this year" and that Warner Bros. Discovery has "ambitious launch projections" for this title.
Digital Trends contacted WB Games to confirm the statement and will update this article when we hear back.
Obviously, as this is the first time the game has been mentioned, we don't know any specific details about the story, gameplay, or characters that will be featured in the new entry. Still, it's quite an exciting confirmation for fighting game fans as NetherRealm Studios hasn't released a new game since 2019's Mortal Kombat 11, which itself has not received any new DLC since 2021. The Chicago-based developer had been flip-flopping between making Mortal Kombat and Injustice games throughout the 2010s, but its focus appears to be wholly on Mortal Kombat now.
If Mortal Kombat 12 is truly coming out this year, we shouldn't have to wait too much longer for an official reveal. Still, this is an unexpected way for such a game to be revealed. Mortal Kombat 12 is in development and intended for release sometime in 2023.

Gaming

Multiversus’ 99% player drop is a lesson in how not to make a free-to-play game

Bugs Bunny holding a pie in Multiversus.

When Warner Brothers' Super Smash Bros.-like fighting game Multiversus launched last year, it was an immediate success. Players flocked to the free-to-play game in its first few months, battling it out as their favorite WB characters. It seemed like the publisher had a rare hit on its hand, breaking through to the mainstream with a genre that's long been painted as a difficultyniche with a high barrier for entry.

MultiVersus - Rick Reveal