MultiVersus Opens The Vault of Warner Bros. Mayhem

MultiVersus is a new Smash-inspired crossover free-to-play fighting game currently in development. Even though Nickelodeon is pretty much hammering out their own interpretation is this genre, this new title will focus on the universe of Warner Bros. IPs. This movie studio has been around for almost 100 years and, needless to say, it accumulated a wealth of properties that range from superheroes, cartoon characters, and cinematic characters. The roster that will be associated with this game will be immense. Developer Player First Games seems to be going to the ends of the Earth by adding all manners of characters into its fighting game. Cherry-picking characters from the DC Universe to the Game of Thrones television series is only the start of it. Of course, between Super Smash Bros and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, it can be difficult to forge one’s own identity with this very specific sub-genre of fighting games.

Whatever the case, the developers are indeed finding ways to make this new game their own. The main difference between with MultiVersus and others similar to it is that it will focus more on teamwork. Players will need to provide cover, stealth mechanics, and even aid during jarring moments of action. Backing each other up will be the key to victory with this new platform fighter. Even though there will be a variety of modes in this game, its sweet spot will be centered on the 2V2 format. This is will be the core foundation with this title and experimenting with all the combinations of defensive and offensive characters will be encouraged. The announcement of this game was rather recent and there is still a lot to dig into. However, the light amount of information that is currently available is enough to garner some excitement for fans of platform fighters around the world.

When Swords and Fur Fly

There is no doubt that MultiVersus will have some of the most recognizable cast of fighters to date. Seeing Batman or Wonder Woman in battle is a natural and comfortable sight. Then, when coupled with Shaggy from Scooby-Doo and even Bugs Bunny, these matches can be a bit confounding. From the gameplay side of things, all of the characters seem to be efficient fighters. One thing about the Smash series is that all of the characters in the roster are fairly well-balanced. Let’s hope that this will also hold true with Player First Games’ new title. From the looks of things, there seems to be some core gameplay mechanics being borrowed from Super Smash Bros. Naturally, the main aspect of platform fighters is to knock players out of the arena. It is a pretty simple concept, yet it provides unlimited gameplay potential with friends.

Of course, since this game will be prominently a multi-player title, the developers are ensuring gamers that this will be a smooth experience. There will be dedicated servers and rollback netcode implemented into its design. What this will do is that animations will finish during their execution, despite interruptions in bandwidth. For years, players have been plagued with janky animations, rubber-banding, and lagging from less than suitable internet connections. Rollback netcode rectifies these problems for the most part, and more developers are utilizing this in more of their online features for their games. Thus, this game will also be cross-platform, so players can play and progress anywhere they are located.

A Rollicking Roster

Now, what is really interesting about MultiVersus is the fact that Warner Bros also holds the rights to some IPs of the interactive entertainment sphere. Most notably, the Mortal Kombat series. Whether or not some characters from the Netherealm will be making an appearance is just speculation. However, if they did, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see either Kung Lao, Scorpion, Raidan or ever Goro being added to the roster. On top of that, Warner Bros also holds the rights to the Middle-Earth games, in which seeing the Uruk-hai, Gandalf, or Frodo in action would also be a treat. The sky is pretty much the limit here. Of course, the developers will be tweaking and updating this free-to-play game for years to come and there is no telling what they have in store. Let’s not forget that Animaniacs has a wealth of zany characters to dive into, as well.

There will also be a customization feature for the fighters, as well. Not only will players be able to mix up the aesthetics of the characters, but also the perks. Yes, there will be a perk system in this game that will enhance gameplay features with certain characters. Additionally, since this game is strictly about co-op action, the perks will also come with ways to juice up teammates. Even though 2V2 is the main appeal, there will also be solo play and 4-players free for all. Both online and local play will be supported. The cherry on top is the fact that all the characters are going to the voiced from their respective talents. Kevin Conroy will be voicing Batman, while Matthew Lillard will be returning to lend his vocals for Shaggy, among others. Lastly, there will also be a class system associated with all the characters. This will come in the form of Bruisers, Mage, Tank, Support, and Assassin. In turn, experimenting with these classes via the characters and seeing which best work together will be an interesting proposal. Some characters may go together like peanut butter and jelly while others may work like oil and water. It’ll be up to the players to find out.

Black and Blue

Even though the announcement of this game came out of nowhere, it is starting to gain some steam. Fans of platform fighters now have something else to sink their teeth into. Plus, even newcomers that never really touch a game of this sub-genre might want to take a swing at this. There are many reasons to be excited for MultiVersus and it is slated to be released in early 2022. Upon launch, this free-to-play IP will be available for the PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.