Some unfortunate news from the video game realm: “MultiVersus,” the “Super Smash Bros.”-like fighting game involving multiple Warner Bros. franchises, has shut down as of May 30. Those that already downloaded the game can continue to play it in offline mode, but otherwise “that’s all folks,” to borrow a quote from one of the game’s franchises.
For those that forgot, the game involves different Warner Bros. owned characters brought into the same realm to fight each other. Franchises featured include “Scooby-Doo,” DC Comics, “Game of Thrones,” “Rick and Morty,” “Adventure Time,” “Beetlejuice,” “Gremlins,” “Tom and Jerry,” “Samurai Jack,” “The Powerpuff Girls,” “The Matrix,” and “The Iron Giant.” An original character, “Reindog,” was also created for the game.
Despite the game’s initial popularity, said popularity soon waned, as the game suffered various problems that led to its shutdown. Below are the two biggest problems I think plagued “MultiVersus.”
Lackluster support by Warner Bros.
“MultiVersus” suffered from mercurial support over its short lifespan. The biggest problem is the year-long hiatus in development the game took between June 2023 and May 2024, which killed most of its momentum and attention. While the game’s social media account showed enthusiasm from its developers, that wasn’t enough to overcome the game going away for a year.
The game’s character roster
The roster for “MultiVersus” also saw some criticism. Some of the game’s character choices are obvious ones: Superman and Batman for DC; Garnet for “Steven Universe”; and so on. However, others were clearly tied to the release of Warner Bros. movies, which like the films themselves meant some iffy choices: Black Adam, the obscure-to-the-general-public star of a film that had at best mixed reviews?
Some of the characters chosen also raise questions about the target audience. Despite the cartoonish fighting and presence of all-ages characters, seeing Jason from “Friday the 13th” and a “Game of Thrones” character fighting Shaggy and Steven Universe is… interesting. (The game does have a profanity filter setting, given some cursing by the more adult-oriented characters.)
The Iron Giant is also an odd choice, given his whole film’s plot is about being a pacifist reluctant to engage in violence. Even Shaggy has an in-game excuse for why he’s not a complete coward—an excuse based on an online meme about Shaggy having a powerful alternate persona.
Finally, the game never used some characters that would’ve been excellent choices for a fighting game. Going by the franchises:
- DC Comics: I liked that Nubia and Raven were used, but I’d rather have seen Green Lantern or the Flash over Black Adam. Also, while Harley’s in the game, it seems a shame to not also throw in Poison Ivy.
- Looney Tunes: Despite being one of the most frequently requested characters for the game, Daffy Duck was a glaring omission. His 1930s/40s-era “screwball” persona (the version recent Looney Tunes projects seem to heavily use these days) would’ve fit into a fighting game. Or even his 50s Jones persona—”Duck Dodgers” fighting Marvin the Martian (who is in the game)?
- Hanna-Barbera: Shaggy and Velma were used in the game, but not Scooby-Doo himself? Or even Daphne, who’s been shown to have martial arts skills in a few modern incarnations? Outside of Scooby-Doo, they could’ve thrown in Fred Flintstone—a loud-mouthed, brash caveman (one with access to mammoths and dinosaurs) in a fighting game? Or one of the Hanna-Barbera action heroes such as Space Ghost; even his comedic “Coast to Coast” version would’ve fit the game’s tone.
- Apparently the Wicked Witch of the West (from the 1939 MGM “Wizard of Oz” movie, now owned by Warner Bros.) was going to be a character in the game, but didn’t get added in in time. She does appear in the “MultiVersus” DC Comics miniseries promoting the game, however.
Conclusion
Since I don’t own a Nintendo Switch, I can’t play “Smash Bros.” Thus, “MultiVersus,” as a similar fighting game, was fun while it lasted, though it’s still installed on my Xbox. Going forward, it looks like my main options are either: play “Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl” (another fighting game I own, which features Nick’s characters); hope something else comes along; and/or save up for a Switch 2, which at $450 for the console alone, isn’t happening anytime soon.
Image: “MultiVersus” main poster. (Warner Bros.)
