Warner Bros. is having a tough time in the world of video games.Gotham Knightsunderperformed,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewas a critical and commercial disaster last year, andMonolith Productions has just been shut downalongside its Wonder Woman game. To top it off,MultiVersus' post-launch support has come to an end, and its online servers are set to be shut off on May 30.
Though it had a strong start during its early access period in 2022,MultiVersusstruggled to keep its player-base invested for the long-term, and its long stint of dormancy certainly didn’t help things.MultiVersusnever managed to regain momentum following its full launch last May, and though the news of its cancelation is sad, it’s not too much of a surprise.MultiVersusis going to leave behind a strange legacy, but it’s one thatMortal Kombatmight want to carry forward.
Mortal Kombat Could Pick Up The Ball MultiVersus Dropped
MultiVersus' Roster Never Lived Up to its True Potential
MultiVersushad a very strong premise out of the gate. Crossover platform-fighters had become all the rage thanks togames likeSuper Smash Bros.andBrawlhalla, and Warner Bros. seemed like the perfect fit for one, with it being home to an array of beloved franchises, each one home to a plethora of heroes and villains who would make great fighting game characters.
The early days ofMultiVersuslived up to this potential. 17 characters appeared onMultiVersus' Beta roster, with 16 of those coming from a wide variety of Warner Bros. properties, ranging from cartoons likeSteven UniverseandAdventure Time, to DC comics like Batman and Superman, to more adult-oriented series likeGame of Thrones.
Spread across its five post-launch seasons,MultiVersusadded a total of 20 new fighters. Generally speaking, these new additions to the roster were just as varied, includingcharacters like Samurai Jack, the PowerPuff Girls, Beetlejuice, Agent Smith, Jason Voorhees, and Marvin the Martian. That said, there’s still a wealth of long-requested WB characters who never made it to MultiVersus, but all hope might not be lost just yet.
Mortal Kombat Should Fill The Void Left by MultiVersus
TheMortal Kombatfranchise is no stranger to guest fighters. 2011’sMortal Kombatadded Freddy Krueger andGod of War’s Kratos, and thenMortal Kombat Xthrew the floodgates open with Alien, Predator, Jason, and Leatherface. Guest fighters have become more prevalent than ever, withMortal Kombat 1having a total of six in its current line-up, which makes up around 17% of the total roster.
It wouldn’t be too out of place, then, if the nextMortal Kombatpicked up whereMultiVersusleft off. Also owned by Warner Bros.,Mortal Kombatcould add its own assortment of WB franchise characters, specifically targeting long-requested characters that never made it toMultiVersus, such as fighters fromLord of the Rings,Game of Thrones, andHarry Potter. Of course, these characters would need to suitMortal Kombat’s M-rated gameplay, but that shouldn’t be a problem for anyone inGame of Thrones, and shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Lordof the Rings' cast.
