At one point, MultiVersus was supposed to be Warner Bros.' answer to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series with its colorful cast of characters hailing from a variety of other universes. However, new reports indicate that Season 5 might be the last as player numbers continue to dwindle, and content updates become more spread out.
Is MultiVersus dying? What went wrong? And is there anything that can save it? Here's what we currently know about MultiVersus Season 5 and whether it might be axed.
Upon its release, MultiVersus pulled millions of players due to its free-to-play nature and great character lineup. However, over time, interest declined and the player base spiralled dramatically.
Here are the main reasons why Season 5 might be the last:
MultiVersus had over 100,000 concurrent players when it launched.
Come Season 3, that number was severely lowered.
The complete lack of any content update along with imbalance drove the player count away.
And Steam's Player Count proves how MultiVersus is barely clinging on for a decent audience size. If Season 5 also fails to entice new blood, then that means game over for this fighting title.
The characters and skins were overpriced, which caused a backlash from the community.
The rewards in the Battle Pass weren't interesting enough to incentivize spending.
Poor continuous marketing and engaging with the audience made the game disappear from people's minds.
Warner Bros. thought MultiVersus could self-sustain, but it seems the streams of revenue are not as good as expected, and some people speculate that it may be axed.
New character releases have been slow, frustrating players.
Very few new maps and game modes mean the experience can get stale.
No serious esports or competitive scene to keep interest in the long run.
If Season 5 doesn't introduce groundbreaking content, it could be MultiVersus' final attempt to revive interest before Warner Bros. pulls the plug.
While Warner Bros. hasn't officially announced Season 5 as the last, leaks have suggested this may be the final content drop for the game.
Here's what Season 5 might bring:
New Characters: A major last-minute addition to bring back players.
Final Battle Pass Rewards: If this is the end, expect exclusive farewell content.
Goodbye Events: A possible farewell event to wrap up the game.
If Season 5 doesn't feature significant updates, it will most likely confirm that MultiVersus has reached its end.
Despite the rumors mill churning and the declining numbers, Warner Bros. and Player First Games have not officially given their word on the title's future.
However, sources indicate the development team has been reassigned to other projects, hinting that MultiVersus may not get long-term support.
If that's the case, MultiVersus will be closed down in 2025.
If MultiVersus goes down after Season 5, here is what it would mean for gamers:
The servers hosting the game may be shut off and therefore no longer playable.
Purchased content and cosmetic material can no longer be available.
Warner Bros. already may work on a sequel or reboot.
If MultiVersus 2 or some sort of rebranding is in development, Warner Bros. could reveal this shortly after the shutdown.
Although the shutdown hasn't been officially declared yet, there is no subtle interpretation: MultiVersus cannot support itself in this world any longer.
Players have dried up.
Monetization fell flat.
Development went on ice.
Warner Bros. might already be working somewhere else.
If improvements are not introduced by Season 5, MultiVersus may never see the light of day beyond 2025.