Is Multiversus coming to Switch?
playerauctions.com is one of those fighting games inspired by Super Smash Brothers. It has fun crossovers, varied characters, and constant updates. So far, the game is available on every platform…except for the Nintendo Switch. For some reason, it has yet to materialize on Switch despite the popularity of platform fighters on the hybrid console. Is it possible for MultiVersus to come to the Switch at all?
Table of Contents
A Smash Hit That’s Yet to Come to the Switch
MultiVersus is a smash hit in the fighting game community. It had more than 60,000 active players during its early access period of the open beta for PC, and that number grew once the cat’s out of the bag. As it stands, MultiVersus is a free-to-play platform fighter featuring a roster of iconic characters from across multiple IPs. Warner Bros. Games and Player First Games always release new updates and content, but news for a Switch port is still scarce.
MultiVersus has already pulled big numbers on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. However, Nintendo’s console has been absent from the market since the game was first revealed.
Still No News for A Switch Release
No official statement has been shared regarding the potential release of MultiVersus for the Nintendo Switch. Still, there are some pre-existing comments from Tony Huynh, Player First Games’ co-founder and development team lead. In December 2021, he mentioned that the Switch didn’t get a port because the team only had enough resources to focus on other areas.
The team working on MultiVersus is on the smaller side, so they only had limited time and resources while making the game. Adding another platform to the pipeline besides the PlayStation and Xbox would’ve pulled efforts away from other core areas, negatively impacting the development as a whole. Huynh stated in May 2022 that their team would eventually look into a potential Switch port once the development of MultiVersus calms down. Still, we’ve yet to see anyone actively working on it.
MultiVersus is Currently Offline
In early 2023, Tony Huynh announced that Player First Games would be pulled from stores, with a tentative re-release date marked for early 2024. All of MultiVersus’ online modes and features will be unavailable during downtime. Currently, players only have limited offline access to local matches and the game’s training room. This includes their characters and cosmetic items within these modes, which the developers have stated would be carried over to the full game next year.
The open beta for MultiVersus closed on June 25. Updates are paused indefinitely to prepare for the early 2024 launch. Since April 4, 2023, Warner has temporarily removed MultiVersus from digital storefronts and it is unavailable for download.
A Strong Start, But A Rough Finish
MultiVersus launched in open beta in July 2022 and had an excellent start. It was initially popular, with a peak of more than 143,000 players on Steam on its first day. On the following day, it rose to 153,000. Just a month after its launch, Warner Bros. claimed that more than 20 million players had already downloaded and played MultiVersus, which suggests that it had a strong base.
However, ever since then, the daily peak player count has fallen dramatically. On June 2023, the player count dipped below 1,000 for the first time. 99.3% of the game’s audience has dropped in seven months. The tepid response to MultiVersus’ Season 2 content was partly why the numbers plummeted.
During the game’s first season, we saw the release of five new characters over the course of two months. But when Season 2 started in mid-November 2022, we only had one character released: Marvin the Martian. Season 3 was due to begin in March 2023, but the developers decided to extend Season 2 instead until the open beta’s closure.
Will MultiVersus Ever Come to the Switch?
There’s no indication that MultiVersus will become available on the Nintendo Switch. However, considering that the game won’t be available again until next year, this might change in the future. Since Player First Games and Warner Bros. are actively working on MultiVersus, we could see a Switch port alongside their return next year. Hopefully, Switch owners can get in on the action once the platform fighter re-launches in 2024. Until then, stick to Smash Brothers.
