All-star brawler MultiVersus has become the most-played game on Steam, despite still being in Early Access.
According to GameSpot, MultiVersus has racked up an average of 37,509 players online on the platform. That number peaked at a solid 61,964 players, trumping the combined total of players on other fighting games like Brawlhalla, Tekken 7 and Street Fighter 5. MultiVersus also recorded the largest all-time peak in player numbers for a fighting game, beating out the previous titleholder Dragon Ball FighterZ which peaked at 44,234 players upon its release in 2018. Since then, no other game has come close to those numbers until now.
The game achieved this feat despite being only available to select players via a closed beta test. Players could gain access if they had previously participated in May's closed alpha, won a code through a Twitch drop or purchased the game's Founder's Pack. However, the beta will open to all players from July 26, meaning MultiVersus may end up breaking its own player record as more fans download and dive in. It will also be available on consoles for the first time, with players able to download the open beta for free via their device's dedicated store.
MultiVersus, a free-to-play fighting game published by Warner Bros., brings together an electric roster of brawlers from several notable franchises. The game allows players to pit characters like Scooby Doo's Shaggy against Game of Thrones' Arya Stark, giving it a broad appeal and leading to some rather mind-boggling in-game interactions. MultiVersus will also add new characters in the future, with confirmed plans to feature LeBron James from Space Jam: A New Legacy and the titular characters from Rick and Morty.
Despite the planned new additions, a recent leak revealed that the game has conversely scrubbed all mention of characters like Gandalf, Daenerys Targaryen and Eleven who were previously referenced in some fighter dialogues. The reason behind the removal is unknown, with fans speculating that the fighters have been canceled or delayed. The leak also indicated that characters like Marty the Martian and Beetlejuice could be added to the roster sometime in the future. Previous leaks have uncovered data suggesting Gizmo from Gremlins and TV's favorite football manager Ted Lasso are also coming down the pipeline.
MultiVersus is available via open beta on July 26, 2022, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.
Source: GameSpot