MultiVersus Responds To Velma Backlash

"Multiversus" has been slowly introducing updates to existing game mechanics and fixes to some of its annoying issues in the months after its release. On Sept. 8, 2022, the 1.02 patch for "Multiversus" was released, which included a number of changes for most characters, a hitbox overhaul, and the introduction of a new "Multiversus" character to its massive roster: Gizmo from "Gremlins." Among these characters being updated is Velma from "Scooby-Doo," whose passive ability got a major visual overhaul in the 1.02 "Multiversus" patch due to controversy.

In "Multiversus," Velma's moveset doesn't let her directly attack opponents. Instead, she attacks with quips and calculations, and can collect evidence produced by these moves (and scattered around the arena) to build her Snoopin' meter. Before the 1.02 "Multiversus" patch, Velma could call the police on an opponent when this meter is full, having collected enough evidence against them. The police car would rapidly drive next to their target, pull them inside, then drive off the stage as the opponent struggles to break free.

Calling the police is perfectly in-line for the character at its heart – it happens at the end of every "Scooby-Doo" episode, after all – but something didn't sit right with some "Multiversus" players. A viral tweet from @NgObscure responded to this ability, saying that it just felt wrong. The user then said not to take the post too seriously, but "Multiversus" developer Player First Games heard complaints like this, and in the 1.02 patch replaced the police car altogether.

Instead of calling the police on an opponent, Velma will now call Mystery Inc. to send in the Mystery Machine to whisk away enemies. It may seem innocent enough at first — after all the police always put the bad guy away in the show. But some have pointed out (per Dot Esports) that the visual of a police car grabbing an enemy out of nowhere doesn't exactly match the rest of the game's tone. Though the team at Player First Games has not directly responded to the controversy in a statement, this update addresses the issue in a different way: quietly and without fanfare.

As "Multiversus" proves to be the only "Super Smash Bros" clone in years to remain popular months after release, it slowly moves into the center spotlight of public opinion. The removal of police in "Multiversus" is a relatively minor change, but one that will prevent it from becoming a bigger issue. The outcry against the move, in both forms, is made up of a relatively small part of the "Multiversus" community, so this change to the Snoopin' ability was likely made to totally quell the controversy in its tracks before it became too unmanageable.