MultiVersus - What We Know So Far

After multiple leaks and rumors of a fighting game that would finally pit Shaggy against Batman and a few teases on Twitter, WB Games finally revealed the first official look at "MultiVersus," its very own "Super Smash Bros."-inspired fighting game. The first hints that "MultiVersus" was real came when the official "Tom and Jerry" and "Looney Tunes" Twitter accounts tagged WB Games and announced that their iconic characters were missing. Very shortly afterward, the official "MultiVersus" Twitter account was unveiled, along with the first trailer for the new game.

The official roster for "MultiVersus" includes the likes of Batman and Superman from DC Comics, Shaggy from "Scooby-Doo," Arya Stark from "Game of Thrones," Steven Universe, and more. 

Plus, it sounds like WB Games plans to reveal more characters and costumes before the official release. Perhaps most exciting for fans of longstanding internet memes, "MultiVersus" also confirmed what we all suspected about Shaggy, revealing that the character will have some incredible powers in the new game. Here's what else has been revealed about "MultiVersus."

While there's not an exact date attached to the game's launch, "MultiVersus" will be released at some point in 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. It's worth noting that the game has not been announced for Nintendo Switch, so despite being a "Super Smash Bros." clone, "MultiVersus" won't be directly competing with the popular fighter on Nintendo's platform. Fans who are already chomping at the bit to dive into the new game can sign up for playtests on the official "MultiVersus" website. "MultiVersus" is going to be a free-to-play title, with cross-play and cross-progression across all the platforms it is releasing on.

Fans can also take solace in the fact that WB Games seems to be starting its full marketing campaign for the game in earnest, so there's a chance that the game will be released in the first part of 2022. The FAQ section on the website also confirms that not only will "MultiVersus" have voice acting (unlike fellow "Smash" clone "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl"), WB Games has wrangled some iconic talent for each character, including Kevin Conroy as Batman, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.

An official reveal trailer for "MultiVersus" has been released by Warner Bros. and developer Player First Games, in which game director Tony Huynh guides fans through the wild new title. The trailer shows off the different Warner Bros. characters portrayed in a similar cartoonish art style, which makes each member of the roster look cohesive while still being distinct. Players also get to hear some of the aforementioned voice talent at work, with characters like Harley Quinn and Shaggy doing their best to intimidate their fellow fighters.

The trailer also announces that not only with more characters be added in the future, but special costumes for the current characters will also be implemented. Viewers get a quick glimpse of what appears to be a battle pass for Arya Stark, but the trailer does not go into any specifics regarding how such a battle pass might be acquired. Huynh also mentioned that "MultiVersus" will have regular events and leaderboards, so the more competitive-minded players will have something to strive for.

One of the most interesting parts of the trailer is just how much gameplay is shown off, illustrating the ways in which "MultiVersus" differs from "Super Smash Bros." While "MultiVersus" does allow for four-player free-for-all matches and 1v1 play, the main mode in "MultiVersus" is 2v2. 

Every character has their own unique set of abilities and attacks, but they all also have support abilities that will benefit a teammate in 2v2 combat. For example, Batman has a smokescreen that hides both his moves and those of his teammate. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman can use her Lasso of Truth to save a teammate from being getting knocked off the stage.

The game will also launch with dedicated servers and rollback net code, which is a great sign for competitive players. With rollback net code, your opponents' moves are predicted by the server and then quickly adjusted if incorrect (per Game Rant). This results in an experience with minimal lag, even against opponents with a bad internet connection. All in all, it's looking like "MultiVersus" is going to be a rewarding free-to-play experience for fans of these famous characters.