Today marks a somber milestone for fans of the ambitious free-to-play platform fighter, MultiVersus. The game is being delisted from digital storefronts and its online servers are powering down in mere hours. If you want to continue brawling with its eclectic cast, you have a very narrow window to log in and secure your ability to play offline.
Time is Running Out: How to Keep Playing MultiVersus Offline
The official shutdown of MultiVersus’ online services is slated for today, May 30th, at 5 pm BST / 9 am PT. For lapsed players or those who haven’t dived in recently, this is your critical, last-chance warning.
To preserve your access to MultiVersus for offline play, you must log into the game sometime between February 4th and today’s final shutdown. According to publisher Warner Bros., doing so will automatically create a local save file linked to your PlayStation Network, Microsoft Store, Steam, or Epic Games Store account. This local save will allow you to enjoy the game offline, with all your earned and purchased content intact, “for the foreseeable future.”
From Promising Beta to Troubled Waters: The MultiVersus Saga
It wasn’t always doom and gloom for MultiVersus. When its beta launched in 2022, it generated significant buzz. The game steadily built a unique and appealing roster, mashing up beloved characters from Gremlin’s Gizmo to the iconic Marvin the Martian, offering a distinctive alternative in the platform fighter genre.
However, the tide began to turn. Following dwindling player numbers, Warner Bros. made the controversial decision to pull the game offline entirely in 2023, promising a return with a full launch in 2024. This move, coupled with a refusal to offer refunds for Founder’s Packs or premium Gleamium currency bundles, severely damaged community goodwill, with many early supporters feeling slighted.
When MultiVersus did relaunch in May 2024, it was met with further criticism surrounding new character limitations and aggressive monetization strategies. The game struggled to regain its footing, leading to the eventual, and now imminent, closure announcement earlier this year.
A Pattern of Missteps: MultiVersus in Warner Bros.’ Wider Woes
MultiVersus’s demise isn’t an isolated incident for publisher Warner Bros. Games. It adds to a string of high-profile disappointments and strategic shifts in recent years. Titles like Gotham Knights and Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League failed to meet consumer expectations or commercial targets. Even the anticipated Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions struggled to resonate.
This challenging period was largely overseen by Warner Bros. Games president David Haddad, who departed the company earlier this year. Since then, the publisher has made further drastic moves, including the cancellation of its long-in-development Wonder Woman game and the closure of the beloved studio Monolith Productions, alongside other internal teams. These decisions have undoubtedly contributed to disappointing recent financial results for the beleaguered publisher.
The Final Farewell
In a statement addressing the shutdown, Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games expressed gratitude for the community’s support, stating, “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.”
As the servers prepare to go silent, the story of MultiVersus serves as a cautionary tale of managing player expectations, monetization, and community trust in the volatile live-service gaming landscape. For those who enjoyed its unique brawls, the clock is ticking – log in now to keep a piece of MultiVersus alive on your own system.
