"MultiVersus Dev Mourns Game Shutdown Amid Threats"

The game director of MultiVersus has publicly addressed the severe backlash and threats of violence received by the development team following the announcement of the game's shutdown. Player First Games, the studio behind the Warner Bros. brawler, revealed that Season 5, launching soon, will mark the end of the game, with servers shutting down in May, just a year after its relaunch.

Players can still enjoy all earned and purchased content through local and training modes offline. While real-money transactions are no longer available, fans can continue using Gleamium and character tokens until the end of support on May 30. The game will be removed from digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store at that time.

The announcement, coupled with the lack of a refund policy, led to significant discontent among players, particularly those who had purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many felt "scammed" and expressed their frustration online, with some review-bombing the game on Steam. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that some players had character tokens that became useless as they had already unlocked all available characters.

Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, took to Twitter to express his gratitude to the team and the community, apologize for the game's closure, and firmly denounce the threats of violence directed at the developers. In his statement, Huynh highlighted the dedication and passion of the Player First Games team, acknowledged the community's contributions, and explained the complexities behind character selection in the game.

Huynh also expressed his hope that players would enjoy the final season and continue to support other platform fighters and fighting games. He stressed the emotional toll the shutdown has taken on the team, emphasizing that no one wanted this outcome.

Community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. came to Huynh's defense on social media, highlighting Huynh's commitment to the game and the community. Rodriguez Jr. condemned the threats against Huynh, urging players to reconsider their actions and appreciate the efforts made by the team.

The closure of MultiVersus adds to a challenging period for Warner Bros. Games, following the disappointing launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad. The financial impact of these failures has been significant, with Warner Bros. Discovery reporting a $200 million hit from Suicide Squad and an additional $100 million from MultiVersus.

In response, Warner Bros. is refocusing its efforts on key franchises, including Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite these setbacks, Warner Bros. continues to develop new titles, including a VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and a Wonder Woman game at Monolith Productions.