Warner Bros. is pulling the plug on another failed multiplayer game. Its Smash Bros.-inspired platform fighter MultiVersus will shut down at the end of season 5, just a year after itâs bumpy return from live-service purgatory. The game will still be available to play offline, but there wonât be any refunds for players who already spent money.
âAfter careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game,â MultiVersusâ developers wrote on the gameâs website on Friday. Fans will need to download the new update in order to still play offline after season 5 ends but no new downloads of the game will be allowed after that. All microtransactions in the free-to-play game have also been halted.
Season 5 begins on February 4, 2025 and will run through May 30, 2025. It adds DCâs Aquaman and Looney Tunesâ Lola Bunny. Both characters have to be unlocked, Aquaman via the Battle Pass and Lola as the daily calendar login reward. It seems like a weird move for a game that only has 90 days left to live. There wonât be refunds on recent purchases either. âThis announcement does not change any current refund policies or terms offered by the storefront(s) from which content was previously purchased,â the FAQ page states.
MultiVersus originally launched in 2022 and was the new online hotness for a brief period, before people bounced off due to lack of new content and the novelty and gameplay balance wearing thin. Warner Bros. then took the unusual step of un-releasing the game, continuing development on it, and launching a new version early in 2024. Despite the comeback, however, it never managed to build up the same following it had the first time around.
MultiVersusâ monetization model didnât do it any favors, either. Players complained about the cost of unlocking characters for local tournament play and the general grindy-ness for those who donât spend lots of extra cash.
This is the latest game Warner Bros. has bailed on just a year after release, with 2024âs Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also being unceremoniously put out to pasture after struggling to find a following.
âThis decision was not made lightly. All of us on the Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games teams have put our heart and soul into MultiVersus, creating a unique social and cooperative experience from the ground up that brings together a variety of popular characters and worlds,â the development team wrote on the gameâs FAQ page. âWe are very proud of the game weâve built and are incredibly thankful for the support of the MultiVersus community throughout this journey. Your passion and enthusiasm have been unmatched.â
