After the MultiVersus online beta finished on June 25th 2023, and Warner Bros. Games roundly solid platform fighter MultiVersus was pulled offline, many gamers have been wondering about what developer Player First Games would bring to its much anticipated full-fledged 1.0 launch. To that end and ahead of a full release on May 28th 2024, here are all of the things that have changed since MultiVersus left its open beta stomping grounds.
Rollback Netcode Locked In On Day One
Arguably one of the most significant shiny new things that the MultiVersus 1.0 release brings to the table, rollback netcode stabilises the online player experience in ways that simply were not possible during its beta. Essentially resulting in much smoother online gameplay, thanks to some neat timestamping technology that registers the time of every movement, developer Player First Games has also had to rebuild much of the rollback netcode from scratch in order to fit Multiversus’ often hectic, multi-person matches. The end result is that MultiVersus feels so much smoother and more responsive to play than it ever did at any point during its open beta phase. Fantastic stuff indeed.
Shift To Unreal Engine 5
Continuing the shift to newer and more promising technologies, MultiVersus 1.0 will move over to Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 when it drops in its full release form on May 28, 2024. Providing a sizable uptick in character detail and environment effects that just wasn’t possible prior, the shift to Unreal Engine 5 has also resulted in character models that are larger than they were before, while the scope of blast zones in each stage has been tweaked to account for the bigger combatants. Finally, the camera has also seen something of an upgrade as well, with movement that is much more dynamic than ever before resulting in a presentation that always ensures that the action is clearly in focus.
Refreshed Animations And Sound Effects To Identify Player States
Sitting atop those aforementioned visual improvements, MultiVersus 1.0 also makes some notable strides in terms of its functional aesthetics as well. For a start, brand new animations have been added to MultiVersus which help players to identify whether their characters are in a confirmation or a stun state – both of which are key to skilled play. Elsewhere, a range of new sound effects have also been added to consolidate those new player states, providing MultiVersus combatants with just another avenue of stimulative response in correlation with the on-screen action.
Parrying Is Here To Stay
Another seismic change that has been brought to bear with MultiVersus’ 1.0 version is being able to parry. An entirely new gameplay mechanic that is intended for high-level play, parrying, when done correctly, allows players to recover from an incoming attack quicker than their opponent, providing an ample window to unleash a devastating counterattack in return. Of course, the emphasis here is on being able to ‘successfully’ pull off that parry. With a very small amount of time to pull off the parry, only expert players will be able to make this manoeuvre play off in the heat of battle and so a sizable element of risk and reward is brought into every fight. Do you risk attempting a parry with the chance that you might not be successful and thus take a chunk of damage yourself, or, do you simply just don’t do it – preferring instead to fall back on the other mechanics that MultiVersus offers? All in all, the new parry mechanic is just one example of how MultiVersus has sought to become a more tactical affair since its time in beta.
Say Hello To The Dash Attack
Further afield and neatly complimenting the parry mechanic, MultiVersus now comes packing a shiny new dash attack that all characters can now use. Something of a swiss knife in terms of its potential applications during battle, the dash attack can not only be used to swiftly close the distance between one fighter and another but it can also be leveraged as a means to start or end your combo, depending on when you decide to use it. When paired with the equally new parry mechanic, the dash attack looks set to be an immensely valuable tool in the arsenal of any MultiVersus player going forward.
Updated Character Kits
Given the breadth and depth of MultiVersus’ roster of celebrity scrappers, it should probably come as no surprise that developer Player First Games has used the lengthy downtime that MultiVersus has enjoyed to update its character kits. On day one of MultiVersus’ full release, every single character will be extensively tuned and updated from their closed and open beta forms. Everything from hit placement and hit volume, through to timing and move damage has been tweaked, while all-new abilities supplant moves that from just about every character. Put simply, the scope of the updated character kits now means that even MultiVersus veterans will have to learn their favourite characters all over again – and have a great deal of fun in doing so.
Reworked Armour Mechanics
The substantial reworking exercise that defines MultiVersus full releases expands to the way in which armour is dealt with, too. In addition to a range of specific multi-hit and armour-breaking moves, a range of new limitations and perks have also been introduced, adding yet further sophistication and complexity to MultiVersus’ defensive game.
Casual And Competitive Stage Variants
In addition to the inclusion of new stages, MultiVersus 1.0 will also bring the notion of competitive and casual stage variants, with the former boasting more hazards and traps than usual, while the latter is much plainer by comparison and proves to be better for newer MultiVersus players.
Long Overdue PvE Modes Are On The Way
At long last MutliVerus will receive a selection of PvE modes as part of its leap from beta to full release, though these are expected to arrive a little while after the 1.0 release on May 28, 2024. Regardless, the fact that such modes are even on the cards is fantastic, not least because arguably one of the main dents in MultiVersus armour in beta was that it didn’t possess sufficient modes to keep solo players invested in the game.
