The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the disturbing "threats to harm" developers following the announcement of the game's shutdown. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 of the Warner Bros. brawler would mark its final chapter, with servers set to shut down in May, just a year after its relaunch. Players can still enjoy their earned and purchased content offline through local gameplay and training modes.
While 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. The game will be delisted from major platforms including the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store at that time.
The announcement, coupled with the lack of a refund policy, sparked outrage among players, especially those who had purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many felt "scammed," particularly those with character tokens that became useless after unlocking all available characters. This backlash has led to MultiVersus being review-bombed on Steam.
In response, Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, issued a heartfelt statement on X/Twitter. He expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the developers, IP holders, and the players, emphasizing the team's dedication and the joy players brought them. He apologized for the delay in addressing the community, highlighted the team's efforts, and called out the threats of violence, urging fans to step back and recognize the sadness the team feels. Huynh hoped that players would enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighters and fighting games.
Player First Games community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. defended Huynh on X/Twitter, condemning the threats against him and praising his dedication to the community. Rodriguez Jr. highlighted Huynh's involvement with the players and his efforts to improve the game, urging the community to read Huynh's statement and consider their actions.
MultiVersus' closure adds to a series of challenges for Warner Bros. Games, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad and financial losses from both MultiVersus and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League have strained the company. Warner Bros. Discovery reported a significant financial hit, with MultiVersus contributing an additional $100 million loss.
Warner Bros. Games' latest release, 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 their games division and announced a focus on four core franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite the challenges, Warner Bros. continues to develop new titles, including a VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and a Wonder Woman game at Monolith Productions.
