MultiVersus Is Shutting Down—To the Surprise of No One

_{Via Warner Bros.}

Remember when Warner Bros. got it in their heads that they needed a multiverse of their own? And no, I'm not just talking about the now-doomed MultiVersus—I mean an actual, sprawling WB crossover universe where all their IPs could interact. For a hot minute, it felt like they had some grand master plan, a way to unite Batman, Rick & Morty, Bugs Bunny, and Jason Voorhees into one glorious pop culture mashup.

But what did we actually get? That terrible Space Jam remake, where instead of meaningful crossovers, WB just stuffed every character they own into the background of a basketball game. If you've ever dreamed of watching Agent Smith from The Matrix holding a foam finger, congrats, it's probably in there somewhere. (I wouldn't know—I didn't watch it. No one did.)

The other big attempt at WB synergy was MultiVersus, a Super Smash Bros.-style brawler featuring an all-star lineup of WB characters. It had potential—Superman punching Tom & Jerry? Scooby-Doo fighting the Joker? The concept was gold. But when the game launched, it quickly became clear that a strong IP lineup isn't enough—the game itself has to be fun, and MultiVersus just… wasn't.

When Is MultiVersus Shutting Down?

_{Via Warner Bros.}

WB has officially announced that MultiVersus will lose online support after Season 5 ends on May 30, 2025, at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST. The game will also be delisted from digital stores across consoles and PC. Starting January 31, in-game purchases with real money will be disabled, but players can still use any remaining Gleamium balance or character tokens to unlock content until the end.

There is one silver lining: MultiVersus will still be playable offline after May 30. Players can battle against AI or play co-op with up to three friends, but they must download the latest version of the game and log in once during Season 5 (which starts on February 4, 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST) to access offline mode.

Lesson Learned: A Game Has to Be Fun First

_{Via Warner Bros.}

With MultiVersus shutting down, it's clear that a recognizable IP isn't enough to keep a game alive. Compare this to Marvel Rivals, a game that actually plays well, making it rise in popularity rather than fizzle out. Sure, having Marvel heroes helps, but at its core, Marvel Rivals is simply a great game—and that's what keeps players coming back.

So, WB, take notes: it's not about stuffing as many characters into one game as possible—it's about making a game worth playing.