The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the "threats to harm" developers following the announcement of the game's impending shutdown. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 would mark the end for the Warner Bros. brawler, with servers shutting 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.
Although real-money transactions for MultiVersus have ceased, players can continue using Gleamium and character tokens to access in-game content until May 30. The game will be delisted from major digital stores including the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store on that date.
The announcement, coupled with the lack of a refund policy, led to backlash from MultiVersus players, particularly those who had purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many felt "scammed," and there have been reports of character tokens becoming useless for those who had already unlocked all characters. The game has also faced review-bombing on Steam.
In response, Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, took to Twitter to address player concerns and the threats directed at the team. In his statement, Huynh expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the developers, and the players, acknowledging the sadness surrounding the game's closure but also the pride in the team's efforts. He apologized for not addressing issues sooner, emphasized the team's dedication, and highlighted the joy brought by fan engagement.
Huynh also explained the complexities of character selection, using BananaGuard as an example of how team enthusiasm can lead to new additions. He clarified his role within the highly collaborative environment at Player First Games, emphasizing that the team always strives to listen and act on community feedback despite limitations in time and resources.
Addressing the threats, Huynh stressed that while everyone is entitled to their opinions, threats of harm cross a line, especially during such a challenging time for the team. He encouraged players to enjoy Season 5 and to continue supporting other platform fighter and fighting games, sharing his personal connection to the genre and hoping that MultiVersus had brought some joy to its community.
Player First Games community manager and game developer Angelo Rodriguez Jr. defended Huynh on X/Twitter, condemning the threats and highlighting Huynh's dedication and positive impact on the community. Rodriguez emphasized the team's ongoing efforts to improve the game, urging players to read Huynh's full statement and reflect on their actions.
MultiVersus' shutdown adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent struggles, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad amid these challenges was recently announced. Warner Bros. Discovery reported that the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus resulted in a significant financial hit, with the former contributing $200 million and the latter $100 million.
In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of the games business and announced a focus on four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy (with a sequel in development), Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, specifically Batman. Recent releases and upcoming projects include Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and a Wonder Woman game at Monolith Productions.
Despite these challenges, Mortal Kombat 1 has reportedly sold over five million copies, with NetherRealm chief Ed Boon teasing future DLC. Warner Bros. is committed to improving its success ratio by focusing on proven studios and core franchises.
