Summary
After shutting down its servers all the way back in June 2023,MultiVersustook a rather lengthy hiatus, only rearing its head again last month. With a brand-new engine, some overhauled visuals, some refined fighting mechanics, and some new roster additions,MultiVersushas spent its time off wisely, and it looks set to make quite an impressive comeback on May 28.
ButMultiVersusisn’t going to just sit back and wait until its release date. AfterMultiVersus' return announcementwas met with a wave of positivity and intrigue from both long-time fans and newcomers,MultiVersushas decided to seize its opportunity to stay in the limelight, but it’s doing so in a rather odd way. On Sunday, April 14 at 3:30 pm ET,MultiVersuswill be crossing over with the NHL, and it’s all a little strange.
MultiVersus' NHL Crossover Explained
On Sunday, April 14, the most recentStanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanchewill be facing off against one another once again, but this time, they’re going to be portrayed as various Warner Bros. Discovery characters. In a direct crossover withMultiVersus, this NHL match is going to use the organization’s state-of-the-art NHL Edge tracking technology along with Hawk-Eye Innovations' optical tracking tech to imposeMultiVersuscharacter models over the top of real-world Avalanche and Golden Knights players, thus making it seem like iconic pop-culture characters are duking it out on the ice.
In a recent mock draft, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights received theirMultiVersuscharacter line-up. While the Golden Knights get Batman, Shaggy, Bugs Bunny, and Wonder Woman, Avalanche get Superman, Velma, Finn the Human, and Steven Universe. On top of animated avatars, this alternate NHL cast will also see the players facing off in an evolving ice rink based on a few differentMultiVersusstages, including theSpace Jambasketball court and theAdventure Timetreehouse. The Tasmanian Devil is also set to officiate game and kick things off by dropping the first puck.
This is far from the first time an animated sports match like this has happened, with one of the most well-known examples being ESPN’sToy Story"Funday Football" event in September 2023 that used similar technology to imposeToy StorycharactersandToy Story-themed environments onto a real-world NFL match. But the sheer scale of thisMultiVersusx NHL crossover is unlike anything fans have seen so far.
MultiVersus' Pre-Launch Promotion Could Be Better
While thisMultiVersusx NHL crossover seems like a lot of fun, and the gimmick of imposing animated characters over the top of actual players hasn’t worn too thin just yet, it’s still a pretty strange way to promoteMultiVersus' upcoming return. This comeback is a golden opportunity forMultiVersus, and it shouldn’t squander it by not promoting the game as much as it can. Simply put, this NHL crossover can’t be the only form of promotion thatMultiVersusdoes before its release in May.
It’s clear thatMultiVersuswants to really lean into its crossover premise for its promotion, so it should be making the most of that before launch.MultiVersusshould be releasing animated trailers that see iconic characters sharing fun and creative exchanges, or have some form of cross-promotion withWarner Bros. Discovery’s many other properties. While it shouldn’t go overboard with promotion before launch, the general public should be made aware thatMultiVersusis coming back, and that it’s bigger and better than ever.
MultiVersus
WHERE TO PLAY
CHARACTERS: Choose from Bugs Bunny, Batman, Arya Stark, Rick Sanchez, and many more. In MultiVersus, every star brings their unique moves, worlds and attitudes to fight. And as the roster expands, so does the spectacle — with new personalities and play styles turning up the heat in every battle.MAPS: Our maps turn legendary realms like the Batman’s Bat Cave, Jake and Finn’s Treefort, Game of Thrones’ Throne Room into epic battle grounds. And the best part? We’re adding new maps regularly, so the party never stops!MODES: Whether you’re seeking the intensity of 1v1, the frenzy of a 4-player mayhem, or team up for strategic 2v2 battles, we’ve got you covered. Plus, introducing an all new PvE mode, a thrilling realm of limitless combat possibilities designed for solo or co-op play.CROSS-PLATFORM: MultiVersus has full cross-play and cross-progression support across all platforms.
