All-new platform fighter MultiVersus has already gained huge numbers of players and is nearing the top of the console charts.
After launching into open beta yesterday, Warner Bros.’ new fighting game has been hitting staggering numbers, peaking at 144,456 concurrent players on Steam alone yesterday. This makes the game better than Warframe, Rust and even Destiny 2.
The free multiversal crossover game featuring Batman, Bugs Bunny, Shaggy and more has already proven to be a very popular alternative to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And even without console numbers, the game’s beta launch is putting out ridiculous numbers.
Multiversus may have become the most-played fighting game in recorded history. I don’t have a console number and currently some servers are down. It can be close to 200k on all platforms.
Do you think this Free2Play really works? pic.twitter.com/Wz4buvM5i1— Maximilian Doud (@maximilian_) July 26, 2022
MultiVersus has also proven to be very popular on consoles where games creep. Most Played Xbox list. It’s also currently in 2nd place in the Xbox Series X/S Top Free Games, topped by Fall Guys.
It’s a similar story on PlayStation, appearing second on the PS5’s most downloaded list, topped only by “That Cat Game” aka Stray (a free download for PS Plus subscribers).
It seems as though the game’s free-to-play status and the popularity of its characters have created the perfect combo to give MultiVersus an edge. We’ll have to see what player numbers look like in the coming months to get a better sense of how popular the new fighting game really is. It seems that
Despite a smooth beta launch, MultiVersus players have already seen several nerfs implemented for the popular character Taz. “If you’re following Early Access, Taz’s Tornado has taken control of his character his kit, presenting new players with a non-obvious knowledge check,” reads Yesterday’s patch notes“By reducing that effect, we hope to improve his gameplay health and loops and put the game in a healthier state for new players.”
The problem was Taz’s signature tornado move overwhelmed other players, causing significant knockback and regularly comboing multiple hits with minimal effort.
“Tornado is Taz’s signature move, so we want to keep it as one of his strongest attacks,” explains developer Player First. And that could mean adding cooldowns in the long run.
Want to know more about Multiversus? For a full list of playable characters and tips and tricks for getting the most out of your matchups, check out our Character Guide.
Ryan Leston is IGN’s entertainment journalist and film critic.you can follow him twitter.
