The MultiVersus open beta testing, which began on July 26, 2022, will end on June 25, before the full launch of the free-to-play fighting game in early 2024.
Tony Hyun, co-founder and CEO of American independent studio Player First Games, has more to say about the future of MultiVersus:
Throughout the MultiVersus Open Beta, we’ve been hard at work creating the best possible gaming experience, and we appreciate all the inspiration you’ve given us. Our open beta has been an important learning opportunity for us and a stepping stone to the next phase of MultiVersus. We know that there is still a lot of work to be done. As a result, we have a clearer idea of what we need to focus on, especially content frequency for new characters, maps, and modes to give you more ways to enjoy the game, as well as updated network code and other matchmaking improvements.
MVP, thank you for your support during the open beta! The feedback and inspiration has been amazing. The open beta will end on June 25th as we prepare for a full launch early in 2024. #MultiVersus will be back better than ever with new content, features, modes and more when we return. pic.twitter.com/6NOCMRDBrp
— MultiVersus (@multiversus) March 27, 2023
The free-to-play fighting game, which collects characters from many Warner Bros licenses, will disappear from the radar for several months before returning in a new version and in full form:
To fix things, we will end the MultiVersus Open Beta on June 25th. As part of this process, we will be pausing updates and taking the game offline in preparation for the launch of MultiVersus, which we plan to launch in early 2024. During downtime, all network modes and functions will be unavailable. You will have limited offline access to the training room (known as the Lab) and local matches, and will be able to use your characters and cosmetic items in these modes. We know this news may be disappointing, but rest assured that MultiVersus will be back.
MultiVersus, from success to oblivion?
The MultiVersus open beta was hugely popular, with over 143,000 players playing on PC at the time of its launch on Steam, and another 153,433 the following day. A month after its release, Warner Bros. stated that over 20 million players have already downloaded and played the game, suggesting that MultiVersus has a solid foundation on which to build. Since then, however, the maximum number of players per day has been drastically reduced. Last month, it fell below 1,000 players for the first time, marking a 99.3574% drop in player count in less than seven months.
The drop is partly due to the warm content of the 2nd season. The game’s first season featured five new characters over the course of approximately two months. However, since the second season debuted in mid-November, only one character – Marvin the Martian – has appeared online. After a delay, Season 3 was supposed to start on March 31st, but the Season 2 Battle Pass has been extended until the end of the Open Beta.