MultiVersus beta shuts down in June, but it’s coming back next year

thesixthaxis.com:

Warner Bros. and Player First Games have announced that the MultiVersus open beta will be shutting down on June 25th 2023, with the team then going full beans to expand the game with new content, features, modes and more with a full release in early 2024.

“We know there’s still a lot of work to do,” writes CEO and co-founder Tony Huynh. “As a result, we have a clearer view of what we need to focus on, specifically the content cadence of new characters, maps and modes to give you more ways to enjoy the game, along with updated netcode and more matchmaking improvements. We’ll also be reworking the progression system based on your feedback and looking at new ways for you to connect with your friends in the game.

“To do this the right way, we will be closing the MultiVersus Open Beta on June 25, 2023. As part of this process, we’ll be pausing updates and taking the game offline as we prepare for the launch of MultiVersus, which we are targeting for early 2024.”

The game will also be delisted from storefronts and unavailable for new downloads after 4th April 2023 – re-downloading will be possible. Those who have already downloaded will still be able to play online, and the Season 2 battle pass has been extended through 25th June, but no new microtransactions or “Gleamium” purchases will be possible after 4th April.

This is a surprising decision, to say the least, given the initial burst of popularity that the game had when the MultiVersus Open Beta first launched last summer, the typical path that almost all free-to-play games take in having an open beta or early access phase that leads directly into a 1.0 release without pause, and that there have been paid microtransactions and battle passes.

To be honest, I didn’t even realise