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 revealed that developers have received threats of harm following the announcement of the game's closure. Last week, Player First Games announced that Season 5 would be the game's last, with servers shutting down this May, just a year after its relaunch. Offline access to all earned and purchased content will remain available via local and training modes. While real-money transactions have ceased, players can still utilize Gleamium and character tokens until support ends on May 30th. The game will also be delisted from major online stores.

Following the announcement, and the lack of a refund policy, many players who purchased the premium Founder's Pack expressed outrage, feeling scammed. Reports indicate numerous players with unused character tokens after unlocking all characters are particularly upset. Unsurprisingly, MultiVersus is experiencing a wave of negative reviews on Steam.

Huynh addressed player concerns and condemned the threats of violence in a tweet:

Hey all, I wanted to say a few words reflecting on the recent MultiVersus news. While saddened by the outcome, I'm grateful for the opportunity from Warner Bros. Games and every developer on the Player First Games and WB Games teams. Thank you to every IP holder for trusting us with your characters; we hope we honored them authentically. I'm incredibly proud of the PFG team's creativity and passion. And thank you to every player who supported MultiVersus. Delighting players is our objective.

I apologize for the delayed response; much has been happening, and my focus has been on the team.

Thank you for the fan art, character ideas, and stories—they were daily highlights.

I'm sorry we couldn't include every requested character. Character selection involves development time, community feedback, IP holder approvals, marketing opportunities, and team inspiration. BananaGuard, for example, arose from team enthusiasm, not at the expense of other characters.

I don't have the power some assume. PFG is highly collaborative, encouraging ideas from everyone and prioritizing player value.

We strive to listen and act, but are limited by time and resources.

This is painful for everyone at PFG, but threats of harm are unacceptable. You're entitled to your opinions, but threats cross a line. This is an extremely sad time for the team; nobody wanted this outcome.

I hope you enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting platform fighters. I've made many friends and memories through these games, and we at PFG worked hard to share that. I hope you can look back on MVS with joy.

Thank you for making this dream a reality. I don't know what the future holds, but thank you for the honor of working with the PFG team.

Player First Games' Angelo Rodriguez Jr. defended Huynh, highlighting the unacceptable nature of the threats. He emphasized Huynh's dedication and efforts to engage with the community.

MultiVersus's failure is another high-profile setback for Warner Bros. Games, following Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's disastrous launch. The departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad last month followed a challenging year. Warner Bros. Discovery stated that Suicide Squad and MultiVersus contributed to a combined $300 million loss. Their only other third-quarter 2024 release, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also underperformed.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the games division's underperformance and stated a focus on four core franchises: Hogwarts Legacy (a sequel is in development), Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Recent releases include Batman: Arkham Shadow (VR) and an upcoming Wonder Woman game. Zaslav emphasized focusing development on proven franchises and studios to improve success rates. While Mortal Kombat 1 sales have exceeded five million, questions remain about its overall financial performance.