When Warner Bros. Games formally announced MultiVersus in November 2021, it followed a multitude of leaks and rumors dating back to even 2019, including full rosters, screenshots, and gameplay footage. While indie Super Smash Bros. type platform fighters like Brawlhalla and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl had failed to capture a long-term community, there was hope that with this being a high-budget crossover game between a variety of popular franchises like DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Adventure Time and Rick and Morty, that it could develop into a game with a much greater lasting impact.
After Multiversus‘ launch in July 2022, it seemed on the right track for that to happen. Its first day saw a peak of 143,000 concurrent players on Steam, and the next day saw this number increase by 10,000. Numerous popular Twitch streamers and YouTubers produced content with the game, and Warner Bros. stated that over 20 million users had downloaded and played Multiversus after its first month.
However, according t0 SteamDB, this player count has dropped steadily since its peak of 153,433 hit seven months ago. This past week, Multiversus saw its concurrent active player count drop below 1000 for the first time, hitting 986 on Monday. This would mean a peak player count drop of over 99% in just seven months. These numbers are especially damning when considering the game’s free-to-play model. For comparison, Brawhalla which uses a similar system currently has over 10,000 active players online.
There are numerous explanations for this massive drop. Multiversus‘ Season 2 battle pass received harsh criticism from the Multiversus player base for its lack of content and the inclusion of only a single character, Marvin the Martian. The game’s monetization system has also been criticized for overcharging skins and other customizable. Others felt that game’s roster was too limited and that unlocking new characters took too much time. Finally, it’s possible that Multiversus just lacks the same kind of polish and fun in its gameplay that makes Super Smash Bros. such a successful franchise.