Warner Bros. Games Acquires MultiVersus Developer
<p><img loading=”lazy” src=”https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/07/24/74dbae80/mutliversus_batman_shaggy.jpg” width=”800″ height=”450″ alt=”Warner Bros. Game Acquires Player First Games” typeof=”foaf:Image” class=”image-style-body-default” /></p>
<p>Warner Bros. Games has acquired Player First Games, the developer of its cross-over platform fighter MultiVersus. The price of the sale was not disclosed, but according to a <a href=”https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240722944100/en/Warner-Bros.-Games-Acquires-Player-First-Games”>press release</a>, Player First Games will continue to operate under its current leadership of co-founders <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/interview/2022/05/30/an-interview-with-multiversus-director-tony-huynh”>Tony Huynh</a> and Chris White. </p>
<p>The announcement comes only a couple of months after MultiVersus’ <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/11/multiversus-is-back-in-action-this-may” target=”_blank”>relaunch</a> on May 28. Player First Games served as a work-for-hire studio on the game, and Warner Bros. is apparently pleased enough with its performance to formally bring the studio in-house. The move comes only a few days after Warner Bros. <a href=”https://www.ign.com/articles/mortal-kombat-mobile-game-to-shut-down-a-year-after-launch-as-developer-netherrealm-suffers-layoffs”>shuttered the entire mobile division</a> of Mortal Kombat developer Netherrealm Studios. </p>
<p>“We have worked with Player First Games over several years to create and launch MultiVersus, and we are very pleased to welcome this talented team to Warner Bros. Games,” said David Haddad, president of Warner Bros. Games. “The bright and creative team at Player First Games adds to our extensive development capabilities.”</p>
<p>“Our team is excited to join the Warner Bros. Games family, and we feel that this will be great for MultiVersus overall,” Huynh said. “We are working to make the MultiVersus game experience the best it can be and having our development team integrated with the publisher is optimum for the players.”</p>
<p>MultiVersus is a 2v2 spin on the Super Smash Bros. blueprint that pits a variety of characters from different Warner Bros. properties against each other. It was first launched in open beta in 2022 (read our review of that version <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/review/multiversus/packing-a-punch”>here</a>), then taken down months later to be rebuilt and expanded before returning this year. MultiVersus recently kicked off its second content season, and it has received new fighters such as <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/13/check-out-the-jokers-multiversus-gameplay-and-the-batman-who-laughs-alternate-costume”>The Joker</a>, <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/05/20/multiversus-launch-trailer-reveals-jason-voorhees-and-the-matrixs-agent-smith”>Agent Smith</a>, <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/23/jason-voorhees-gets-a-dedicated-multiversus-trailer”>Jason Voorhees</a>, and the recently announced <a href=”https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/07/22/samurai-jack-and-beetlejuice-are-headed-to-multiversus”>Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice</a>.</p>