MultiVersus Boss Calls Out “Threat to Harm” After Shutdown Announcement

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Recently, Warner Bros. declared that MultiVersus, their free-to-play brawler, will be concluding with its fifth season serving as a farewell.

Although the majority of players seem to have moved on (given the clear evidence from the number of players), there are a few who find it difficult to let go of it quickly.

MultiVersus Players Threaten Devs Over Game’s Closure

On Twitter/X, the head of Player First Games, Tony Huynh, issued a lengthy apology to the players, expressed gratitude towards the development team and the community, and furthermore acknowledged instances where individuals have sent threatening messages.

Hello everyone! I wanted to share some thoughts following the latest news about MultiVersus. Although I’m feeling sad, I remain deeply grateful for the chance provided by Warner Bros. Games and both the Player First Games and WB Games development teams. A big thank you goes out to all IP holders for allowing us to work with your beloved characters, and we strived to ensure they remained true to their essence and resonated with fans. I’m incredibly proud of what the PFG team accomplished, as their creativity and passion were truly inspiring. Lastly, a huge thank you to every player who has ever played or supported MultiVersus – delighting and serving players is our ultimate goal at Player First Games.

Apart from expressing gratitude for the project, the studio head additionally acknowledged receipt of fan-made artworks, character concepts, and heartfelt narratives. He mentioned these submissions brought joy to each day and consistently energized the team, as he put it.

Huynh expresses his apologies if they didn’t manage to include your favorite character, but he emphasizes that Aquaman and Lola are really fascinating and encourages everyone to take a look. The choice of characters involves several factors such as development time, listening to the community, working with IP holders, seeking cross-marketing opportunities, and the team’s inspiration level. Essentially, a great deal is taken into account. For instance, BananaGuard was created due to the team’s eagerness to make it, which they produced over the weekend as a fun, quick-to-make character. They aim to encourage creativity and enthusiasm within their team, and that’s why BananaGuard was born without compromising other characters. Instead, it came about because the team was passionate about making the character.

Regrettably, Huynh’s goodbye message to the players contained an unwelcome remark as well. The head of the studio felt compelled to remind everyone that players have the right to express themselves freely, but when threats are involved, it exceeds acceptable boundaries, which it indeed does.

Huynh emphasizes, “I understand that everyone’s going through a difficult time with this situation, and I can empathize with each member of PFG. However, I must address an issue: when threats of harm are involved, it surpasses the boundaries of acceptable behavior. I fervently hope that you will pause and acknowledge how profoundly saddening this period is for our team. I’m deeply grieving over the fate of the game. None of us desired this outcome, and it wasn’t due to a lack of concern or effort.

As a passionate player, it’s always tough to say goodbye to a game I’ve invested so much time, effort, and resources into. However, threats or other inappropriate discussions shouldn’t be part of our discourse. It’s important to understand that the developers aren’t trying to shut down the game intentionally. Instead, they’re dealing with a reality where the number of players and revenue generated can no longer cover the server costs, development expenses, and other necessities, making it unsustainable to continue operating.

Launching a free-to-play video game and achieving success isn’t usually straightforward. For instance, MultiVersus started its beta phase in 2022, but the number of players gradually decreased over time. Player First decided to withdraw the game, make some adjustments, and re-launch it in May 2024. Regrettably, the same pattern persisted: it managed to attract a large number of players initially, but the interest eventually waned until there were no players left.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but wonder about the future of Player First when the game goes offline. Will they transition to new ventures, or will we face another round of layoffs? For the sake of the families involved, let’s all hope that they have alternative employment lined up.

Season 5, the last season of MultiVersus, launches tomorrow, February 4.

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2025-02-04 03:09