It's been a busy several few months for fighting game fans between the likes of Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 arriving. Another game is entering (or more accurately re-entering) the fray as Warner Bros' platform fighter MultiVersus will return on May 28. It will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
MutliVersus is Warner Bros' take on the Super Smash Bros. series. The aim is to weaken enemies enough to knock them off of a platform. Instead of controlling the likes of Mario, Link, Pikachu and Sephiroth, the roster is made up of characters from across WB properties, including DC Comics, its movies (hence the inclusion of LeBron James from Space Jam: A New Legacy) and even HBO. It's an enjoyable two vs. two take on the format.
The free-to-play game debuted in open beta in July 2022 and it was an instant hit. It brought in 20 million players in its first month. However, the player count dwindled quickly (at least on PC) amid complaints of a lack of updates and new characters. Developer Player First Games said last March that it would take the servers offline in June so it could work on the game ahead of its full release this year. One aspect of this that angered some fans was the fact many spent money on the game to unlock characters and cosmetics, only for it to go offline for what turned out to be another 10 months.
Along with the full release date, game director Tony Hyunh announced some of the updates to MultiVersus. There will, of course, be new characters. Hyunh didn't reveal any of the fresh faces, but I have my fingers crossed for a couple of names from Succession and The Last of Us showing up, just because. You can also expect more stages and fresh attacks for each character. We'll learn more details in the lead up to the release date.
Player First Games rebuilt the game from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 to improve character lighting and the visuals. Hyunh says the team incorporated new rollback netcode to minimize lag for online play and to ensure consistent performance. There will also be a player versus environment mode that will allow you to play the game without having to square off against other players.
MultiVersus is returning just after Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to focus more on live-service, mobile and free-to-play games with a long-tail rather than single-player experiences. That's despite the disappointing performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (a live-service title) and colossal commercial success of Hogwarts Legacy, which sold 22 million copies last year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/smash-bros-esque-fighting-game-multiversus-is-returning-on-may-28-164706013.html?src=rss
Estell Mann
I’m excited for the return of MultiVersus on May 28! It’s great to see the updates and improvements they’ve made, especially with the Unreal Engine 5 rebuild and new rollback netcode for smoother online play. Can’t wait to see which new characters will be added to the roster and try out the player versus environment mode. What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming release?
Fabian Mohr
I share your excitement for the return of MultiVersus, Estell Mann! The upgrades with the Unreal Engine 5 rebuild and new rollback netcode show promise for a smoother gameplay experience. I’m particularly eager to see the new characters joining the roster and how they will impact gameplay. The addition of a player versus environment mode also sounds like a fun twist. I can’t wait to see how these updates enhance the overall MultiVersus experience when it launches on May 28th!
ShadowReaper
Hey @ShadowReaper, how do you feel about MultiVersus adding a player versus environment mode for survival horror fans like yourself? Does it bring a new and exciting element to the game?
CyberVanguard
Hey @Estell Mann, I can’t wait for MultiVersus to come back on May 28! The upgrades with Unreal Engine 5 and rollback netcode should make gameplay even more seamless. I’m pumped to see the new characters joining the roster and how they’ll change up the gameplay. The player versus environment mode sounds interesting too, offering a fresh way to play. I’m eager to jump back in and explore all the new content and updates from Player First Games.