After going away for almost a full year in 2023, Multiversus, the free-to-play Warner Bros. Super Smash Bros-esque brawler, is coming back. Developer Player First Games has released a new developer diary video confirming the game will relaunch on May 28.
The video confirms a few things have changed since the months-long open beta last year. The team has moved the game to Unreal Engine 5 to improve the game’s visuals and lighting to make characters like Wonder Woman and Bugs Bunny pop more on screen. Another big change under the hood is that Multiversus will have a new, improved netcode from the beta, which the game’s website confirms will be the much-preferred rollback netcode most fighting games aim for these days. So, hopefully, players will see as little lag as possible this time around. The team will reveal new fighters and stages set in WB’s various franchises between now and Multiversus’ launch.
Other additions include some tweaks to the original roster, so you’ll have some new characters to learn if you’ve already sunk some hours into Multiversus, and a PvE mode for those who don’t want to get sweaty in PvP.
Multiversus is coming back at a time when sentiment toward Warner Bros. is in the gutter following the announcement that it plans to double down on live-service games, even after the internal (and external) disappointment surrounding its latest cooperative romp Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Multiversus’ rollout has been controversial for its own reasons, after charging people money for in-game microtransactions during the beta segment and then disappearing for a year. The game had struggled to maintain an audience during the beta segment despite initial popularity, so it remains to be seen if the full game can keep those numbers up moving forward.
While Player First Games has not yet confirmed any of the new characters coming to Multiversus once it’s officially out, leaks and datamining suggests Gandalf from Lord of the Rings may be on the table.
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