Live service games keep getting the axe, as another was announced over the weekend to meet its end in a matter of months. Multiversus is the latest game published by WB Games to be pushed out to the pasture following Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Developer Player First Games was purchased by Warner Bros. Games last July and its free-to-play Multiversus cross-platform title was released in May 2024. While the game has had its ups and downs, it did allow fans of multiple genres to mash up a wide variety of characters and also supported full cross-progression and cross-saves among consoles and PC. However, it seems that despite its positives, there’s just not enough support for the game for WB Games to keep it running and Season 5 will be its last.
Per Player First Games:
“Hi everyone,
We have an important update to share regarding MultiVersus. After careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game. MultiVersus Season 5 will begin on February 4, 2025, and run through May 30, 2025, adding two new playable characters to the roster – DC’s Aquaman and Looney Tunes’ Lola Bunny. All new Season 5 content, including Aquaman and Lola Bunny, will be earnable through gameplay. Both new characters will be accessible when Season 5 begins on February 4 at 9 a.m. PST – Aquaman via the Battle Pass as the first tier reward and Lola as the daily calendar login reward.
All online features will continue to be available until Season 5 concludes on May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. At that point, there will be an option to play MultiVersus offline via the local gameplay mode, either solo against A.I. opponents or with up to three friends. To do this, you’ll need to install/download the latest version of the game and log in during Season 5, any time between February 4 at 9 a.m. PST and May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. After logging in, a local save file will be automatically created connected to your PlayStation Network, Microsoft Store, Steam, or Epic Games Store account, allowing you to enjoy the game offline with all earned and purchased content moving forward.
As of today, January 31, real money transactions will no longer be available for MultiVersus, which means you can no longer purchase Gleamium, but you can still use remaining Gleamium or character tokens to access in-game content until Season 5 ends on May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. Additionally, when Season 5 finishes, the game will no longer be available to download via the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, or Epic Games Store.
Most importantly, we want to thank every player and person who has ever played or supported MultiVersus. All of us on the Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games teams have poured our heart and soul into this game. We will be forever grateful for the incredible support of the MultiVersus community throughout this journey.”
The golden goose only has so many eggs to lay
Live service games, aka free-to-play, have often been viewed by publishers as a golden goose/cash cow means for ongoing revenue, but more and more are either being shut down or stopped in their tracks while in development. WB Games infamously dealt with lackluster player engagement and poor reviews for its recent attempt to bring the denizens of Arkham online with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Others that have been shut down include Ubisoft’s XDefiant and Skull & Bones, BioWare’s Anthem, Amazon Games’ Crucible, Epic Games’ Paragon, and EA’s Knockout City.
Meanwhile, it’s come to light that Sony has recently canceled development for two of its very popular IPs, God of War and Horizon. These are just a small fraction as Sony has been clearing its live-service slate for some time since previously also canceling its Twisted Metal, Last of Us, and Spider-Man projects. As live-service games keep hitting the chopping block, it becomes clear that publishers still don’t quite have a grip on what players are looking for, or how to keep them engaged. For the few that manage to hang on and succeed, there seems to be a virtual landfill of all those that are left behind.