MultiVersus Fans Applaud Season 5 Updates as #SaveMultiVersus Trends

The Warner Bros. platform fighting game, MultiVersus, is set to shut down at the end of Season 5 in May, yet the recent update introducing sweeping changes to combat speed has revitalized the gameplay, sparking a #SaveMultiVersus movement on social media. The community eagerly embraced the launch of the fifth and final season on February 4 at 9am PT, despite developer Player First Games announcing the game's closure last week. The update not only introduced DC’s Aquaman and Looney Toons’ Lola Bunny as the last playable characters but also implemented extensive movement changes, resulting in a significantly faster-paced experience. This fundamental shift, long-requested by players, arrives just as the game is winding down.

Players noticed the increased combat speed following Player First's Season 5 Combat Changes Preview video on X/Twitter. The changes mark a departure from the criticized "floaty" gameplay during the MultiVersus beta test in 2022 and surpass the speed seen at the game's relaunch in May of last year. The patch notes for Season 5 reveal that the speed increase is due to reduced hitpause across most attacks, enabling faster combo strings. Specific characters like Morty, LeBron, Iron Giant, Bugs Bunny, Black Adam, and others now feel quicker, thanks to adjustments allowing for fast falls during certain aerial attacks. Garnet's ringout potential has been tweaked to balance her impact as a fast character.

Season 5 has transformed the nearly one-year-old fighting game into a new experience, much to the delight of players. However, with the game's shutdown scheduled for May 30, fans are left in a bittersweet state. The end of MultiVersus will see the cessation of seasonal content and its removal from digital storefronts, with only offline modes remaining. As players mourn the impending closure, they also celebrate the game's newfound quality.

X user @PJiggles_ described MultiVersus as "the most interesting bad game in existence," reflecting on its journey from beta to relaunch and the recent speed increase. Professional player Jason Zimmerman (Mew2King) questioned the timing of the speed changes, suggesting they could have been implemented earlier. A Reddit user lamented that if the relaunch had started with these improvements, MultiVersus could have been a lasting success, citing Apex Legends as an example of a game that thrived due to strong fundamentals at launch.

Despite the positive reception to the Season 5 update, which fixed numerous issues and enhanced the game's polish, as noted by Reddit user Desperate_Method4032, Player First and Warner Bros. remain committed to their shutdown plan. Tony Huynh, the game director, shared final thoughts on X, addressing player concerns, while Warner Bros. disabled real-money transactions on January 31 and made the Season 5 premium battle pass free for all players.

As MultiVersus prepares to go offline permanently at 9 am PT on May 30, the community is finding solace in creating and sharing memes, cherishing the game's final moments. The fighting game community is left to relish a game that has finally met their expectations, just as it reaches its end.