Smash Bros.-Inspired MultiVersus Is Shutting Down A Second Time

Warner Bros. is pulling the plug on another failed multiplayer game. Its Smash Bros.-inspired platform fighter MultiVersus will shut down at the end of season 5, just a year after it’s bumpy return from live-service purgatory. The game will still be available to play offline, but there won’t be any refunds for players who already spent money.

“After careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game,” MultiVersus’ developers wrote on the game’s website on Friday. Fans will need to download the new update in order to still play offline after season 5 ends but no new downloads of the game will be allowed after that. All microtransactions in the free-to-play game have also been halted.

Season 5 begins on February 4, 2025 and will run through May 30, 2025. It adds DC’s Aquaman and Looney Tunes’ Lola Bunny. Both characters have to be unlocked, Aquaman via the Battle Pass and Lola as the daily calendar login reward. It seems like a weird move for a game that only has 90 days left to live. There won’t be refunds on recent purchases either. “This announcement does not change any current refund policies or terms offered by the storefront(s) from which content was previously purchased,” the FAQ page states.

MultiVersus originally launched in 2022 and was the new online hotness for a brief period, before people bounced off due to lack of new content and the novelty and gameplay balance wearing thin. Warner Bros. then took the unusual step of un-releasing the game, continuing development on it, and launching a new version early in 2024. Despite the comeback, however, it never managed to build up the same following it had the first time around.

MultiVersus’ monetization model didn’t do it any favors, either. Players complained about the cost of unlocking characters for local tournament play and the general grindy-ness for those who don’t spend lots of extra cash.

This is the latest game Warner Bros. has bailed on just a year after release, with 2024’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also being unceremoniously put out to pasture after struggling to find a following.

“This decision was not made lightly. All of us on the Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games teams have put our heart and soul into MultiVersus, creating a unique social and cooperative experience from the ground up that brings together a variety of popular characters and worlds,” the development team wrote on the game’s FAQ page. “We are very proud of the game we’ve built and are incredibly thankful for the support of the MultiVersus community throughout this journey. Your passion and enthusiasm have been unmatched.”