The game director of MultiVersus, Tony Huynh, has publicly addressed the threats of violence received by developers following the announcement of the game's shutdown. Last week, Player First Games revealed that Season 5 would mark the end of the Warner Bros. brawler, with servers shutting down in May, just a year after its relaunch. Players can still access earned and purchased content offline through local gameplay and training modes.

Although real-money transactions have ceased, players can continue using Gleamium and character tokens until support ends on May 30. At that point, MultiVersus will be removed from digital stores including the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The lack of a refund policy has led to backlash from players, particularly those who purchased the $100 premium Founder's Pack, feeling "scammed." Many players have unused character tokens as all characters are already unlocked, leading to review-bombing on Steam.

In response, Tony Huynh, co-founder of Player First Games and game director of MultiVersus, shared a heartfelt statement on Twitter. He expressed gratitude towards Warner Bros. Games, the development teams, IP holders, and the players, acknowledging the sadness of the outcome but emphasizing the team's dedication and passion. He also addressed the threats of harm, urging the community to understand the emotional toll on the team and to refrain from such actions.

Huynh highlighted the collaborative nature of Player First Games, the challenges of character selection, and the community's role in the game's development. He encouraged players to enjoy Season 5 and continue supporting other platform fighter and fighting games, reflecting on the positive impact these games have had on his life.

Angelo Rodriguez Jr., a community manager and game developer at Player First Games, defended Huynh on X/Twitter, emphasizing the unfairness of the threats and praising Huynh's dedication to the game and its community.

MultiVersus' shutdown adds to Warner Bros. Games' recent struggles, following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the departure of Warner Bros. Games boss David Haddad. Warner Bros. Discovery reported significant financial losses from these games, with Suicide Squad contributing a $200 million hit and MultiVersus adding $100 million. The only new game release in the third quarter of 2024, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also failed to make an impact.

In a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of the games business and announced a focus on four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, particularly Batman. Despite these setbacks, Warner Bros. continues to support new titles like Batman: Arkham Shadow and a Wonder Woman game, aiming to improve their success rate with proven studios and core franchises.