Warner Bros. Discovery has recently acknowledged that MultiVersus, their free-to-play platform fighter, has significantly underperformed. This admission came during a financial call where Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels revealed that the game's poor performance contributed to a $100 million writedown for the company's games business in 2024.
Key points:
1. MultiVersus' underperformance has added to Warner Bros. Games' financial struggles, with total writedowns reaching over $300 million year-to-date.
2. The game's player base has drastically declined since its relaunch in May 2024. Current Steam data shows an average of around 2,000 concurrent players, down from its all-time peak of 153,433.
3. Warner Bros. Games revenue declined 31% during the most recent financial quarter (July to September 2024).
4. In response to these challenges, Warner Bros. is refocusing its development efforts on four core franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC (particularly Batman).
5. The future of MultiVersus remains uncertain, with the possibility of reduced support if its performance doesn't improve.
This situation highlights the challenges faced by Warner Bros. in the competitive gaming market, especially with live service games like MultiVersus.
