Despite being mere weeks away from launch,MultiVersusstill has an uphill battle ahead of it. WhenMultiVersus' Beta first dropped back in July 2022, it managed to garner quite the fanbase, and through good word-of-mouth, the game’s reputation grew like wildfire. Some good combat mechanics, a unique 2v2 focus, and a vast roster of iconic characters from across Warner Bros.' collection of IP helped to setMultiVersusapart from its tough competition. But unfortunately, it didn’t take long for that initial hype to wear off.
With some controversial monetization practices and a lack of new content in its first few months,MultiVersussaw a steep decline in its playerbase, an issue that only grew worse with time. According to SteamDB,MultiVersus' Steam player countdropped from a peak of just over 153,000 during its initial launch, to just 500 players in the Beta’s final days. It’s going to be hard forMultiVersusto win players back around before its re-launch at the end of the month and, though developer Player First is clearly trying its best to do just that, its first new character reveal could have gone better.
On its tenuous lead-up to launch,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueconfirmed that each of its post-launch seasons would include one new playable character. While many fans still weren’t keen on the idea of Rocksteady’s next title being a live-service game, the idea of getting to play as a new DC villain every few months was quite exciting, especially when early leaks of the game’s DLC hinted thaticonic characters like Killer Croc, Deathstroke, and Killer Frostcould all be coming to the game.
However, much like the rest ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, once players found out more about these post-launch characters, disappointment quickly set in. Rocksteady confirmed that anElseworld version of the Jokerwould be the first DLC villain to come toSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueand this addition made complete sense as the Joker is a beloved character and one of the most iconic villains of all time. But there were two big issues with this decision.
The first major issue withSuicide Squad’s Joker was that this version of the character simply wasn’t to everyone’s taste, with the initial reveal trailer leaning a little too much into Joker’s quirky, unpredictable side, and delivering a visual design that underwhelmed. The second big issue was that fans have already been exposed to the Joker countless times over the last few years, appearing in multiple live-action movies, playing a prominent role already intheArkhamuniverseeven after death, and being present in a ton of other DC projects across TV and video games.
With an Elseworlds premise paving the way for limitless creativity, it felt pretty disappointing forSuicide Squad’s first DLC character to just be another standard version of Joker.
MultiVersus' Joker is a Double-Edged Sword
Unfortunately,MultiVersusmight be repeatingSuicide Squad’s mistake. Before its re-launch at the end of May,MultiVersushas confirmed that a few new fighters will be joining the roster, and the first one unveiled is none other than the Clown Prince of Crime. On one hand,Joker will likely be another great addition to theMultiVersusroster, especially with Mark Hamill returning to voice the iconic villain once again.
But on the other hand, if fans weren’t oversaturated by Joker beforeSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, then they certainly are now, and no matter how fun he is to control or how great it is to hearMark Hamill’s acting talentagain, there’s no denying that the mystique surrounding Joker has well and truly worn off.
MultiVersus
WHERE TO PLAY
CHARACTERS: Choose from Bugs Bunny, Batman, Arya Stark, Rick Sanchez, and many more. In MultiVersus, every star brings their unique moves, worlds and attitudes to fight. And as the roster expands, so does the spectacle — with new personalities and play styles turning up the heat in every battle.MAPS: Our maps turn legendary realms like the Batman’s Bat Cave, Jake and Finn’s Treefort, Game of Thrones’ Throne Room into epic battle grounds. And the best part? We’re adding new maps regularly, so the party never stops!MODES: Whether you’re seeking the intensity of 1v1, the frenzy of a 4-player mayhem, or team up for strategic 2v2 battles, we’ve got you covered. Plus, introducing an all new PvE mode, a thrilling realm of limitless combat possibilities designed for solo or co-op play.CROSS-PLATFORM: MultiVersus has full cross-play and cross-progression support across all platforms.
