MultiVersus Dev Calls Out ‘Threats to Harm’ Following Shutdown Announcement: ‘I Am in Deep Mourning for the Game’

The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the severe backlash, including threats to harm developers, following the announcement of the game's impending shutdown. Player First Games, the developer behind the Warner Bros.-owned title, revealed last week that Season 5 would mark the end of MultiVersus, with servers set to shut down in May, just a year after its relaunch. Despite the shutdown, players can still access all earned and purchased content offline through local and training modes.

With real-money transactions discontinued, players can use existing Gleamium and character tokens until the support ends on May 30. At that point, MultiVersus will be removed from major digital storefronts including the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The lack of a refund policy has led to significant discontent among players, particularly those who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack. Many feel "scammed," and some have character tokens that are now useless since all characters have been unlocked. This frustration has manifested in review bombing on Steam.

In response, Huynh took to Twitter to express his gratitude towards the development team, Warner Bros. Games, IP holders, and the players. He acknowledged the sadness surrounding the game's closure and apologized for the delay in addressing the situation, citing his focus on the game and the team. He also highlighted the community's contributions, such as fan art and character ideas, and explained the complexities behind character selection in the game.

Huynh firmly condemned the threats of violence directed at the team, emphasizing that such actions are unacceptable. He expressed his deep mourning for the game and encouraged players to enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighters and fighting games.

Angelo Rodriguez Jr., a community manager and game developer at Player First Games, defended Huynh on Twitter, describing him as a dedicated leader who went above and beyond for the community and the game. Rodriguez stressed that threats of physical harm are never justified and urged the community to appreciate the efforts of the team.

MultiVersus' shutdown adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent string of disappointments, following the troubled launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The financial impact of these failures has been significant, with Suicide Squad contributing to a $200 million loss and MultiVersus adding another $100 million. Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO, David Zaslav, acknowledged the underperformance of their games business and outlined a focus on key franchises such as Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman, to improve their success rate.