Player count plummets for Warner Bros.’ Smash-like MultiVersus

polygon.com:

So, uh, y’all remember MultiVersus, right? Warner Bros.’ Smash-like was all the rage last fall, abetted by a roster including everyone from Batman to Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, and LeBron James. And just six months after its full launch, MultiVersus has, by one measure, lost 99% of its player base.

The measure is SteamDB, which observes only one platform, PC, of a game that also launched on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in August. Still, it’s not a good sign. Especially considering MultiVersus hasn’t seen five-figure player counts (on PC) since late September.

It’s hard to believe the game’s sustaining appeal is banked inside its console versions, especially as the third season of the free-to-play fighting game’s content has been delayed. It was originally expected to begin on Tuesday, but on Feb. 8, developer PlayerFirst Games extended the season 2 deadline to March 31, ostensibly to let players complete its battle pass.

We heard you, MVPs! To help you reach the end of the current Battle Pass, players get Battle Pass XP Boost items PLUS Season 2 is extended to March 31. ⭐️ Peep new items in your inventory and a new tier purchasing functionality for faster progress. <a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/MultiVersus?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#MultiVersus

It seems that MultiVersus’ developers are running behind the treadmill of free-to-play games development, which demands new content — in this case, playable characters — on a schedule that sustains interest. MultiVersus’ last new character, Marvin the Martian, arrived Nov. 15, along with him a premium battle pass that included alternate forms for Scooby-Doo’s Velma and Bugs Bunny’s many performances as a symphony conductor.