MultiVersus is shutting down in May, players who purchased $100 Founder's Pack feel "scammed"

Warner Bros. has announced that its crossover fighting game MultiVersus, developed by Player First Games, will be shut down at the end of May, leaving players who paid for the $100 Founder's Pack feeling "scammed" by the unexpected announcement.

The details:

• The game's closure was announced in a new blog post, confirming that Season 5, which begins on February 4, will be the last season of new content. On May 30, the game's servers will be pulled offline and the title will be removed from all storefronts, but those who already own it will be able to play offline "for the foreseeable future." The purchase of in-game currency has also been disabled as of January 31, but existing Gleamium can be spent until the shutdown.

• Following the announcement, disappointed fans took to social media to criticize the decision, with many having spent real money on various items and characters. For example, players who paid $100 for the "Founder's Pack" received 30 character unlock tokens and 2,500 Gleamium, but have since revealed that they were unable to use all of the tokens. Six of the game's 35 new characters were available for free, and earlier in MultiVersus' life cycle, the free-to-play "gold" currency was easier to obtain, resulting in many players having even more tokens left over.

• According to the new shutdown FAQ page, Warner Bros. will not change the game's refund policies for any previous purchases, regardless of any unused content. "This announcement does not change any current refund policies or terms offered by the storefront(s) from which content was previously purchased," the statement reads.

• Tony Huynh, director of MultiVersus, has since taken to X to thank fans, IP holders, and the project's developers for their years of support, as well as to apologize for any disappointment caused by the announcement. However, the director condemned those who threatened employees over the decision. “I have to call this out, you’re entitled to what you say and think, but when there are threats to harm it’s crossing the line,” Huynh wrote. “I hope that you can take a step back and realize that this is an extremely sad time for the team. I am in deep mourning for the game. Nobody wanted this outcome and it wasn’t from lack of caring or effort.”

More gaming news:

• Microsoft has confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 will be released on PS5 this spring, complete with all of its existing content and cross-platform play.

• Nintendo has announced that foreign credit cards and PayPal accounts will no longer be accepted on the Japanese eShop as it cracks down on "fraudulent use.”