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Multiversus is a Warner Bros. riff on Smash Bros., and it may go free-to-play

Shaggy is like WB's Kirby. He's the most powerful character in the universe.
Shaggy is like WB's Kirby. He's the most powerful character in the universe.
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has reached its climax with the release of its last downloadable fighter, Sora. And that is creating a gap in the market. Only that gap doesn’t exist because people are suddenly going to stop playing Smash (they won’t). Instead, the vacuum is more about the meta cycle of fans getting excited and then disappointed for new characters in Nintendo’s fighter. But now multiple games are looking to fill that void. That includes Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, but it also includes an unannounced Warner Bros. take on the genre with the working title Multiversus.

Like Smash Bros., Multiversus is a platform fighter. It features characters like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, Tom & Jerry, Batman, and more. I’ve confirmed that this game is real and these details are accurate as of today. But while some reports claim that Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios is working on the game, that is not the case.

WB Interactive has tested Multiversus with some fans. The early word is that the game feels like it is on a tight budget — although Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has proven that that isn’t necessarily an issue for this genre. WB is also potentially considering making the game free-to-play.

Regardless of the upfront business model, though, you should expect WB to lean into releasing DLC fighters. I’ve heard rumblings that WB is considering bringing in characters from its Space Jam films, including a certain active NBA star.

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And that’s the real potential here for WB. The studio has a massive stable of properties to pluck potential characters from. And while Batman and Gandalf obviously don’t stand a chance against a character as powerful as Shaggy, maybe WB could bring in Tony Soprano or Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force to defeat him.

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