Summary
Fans are finally able to enjoyMultiVersusagain following its official release on May 28, with many players having to once again get to grips with the game’s wide range of in-game fighters. Of course, one of the largest appeals of the game is how it has pulled its characters from different Warner Brothers franchises, and this has allowed the title to market itself in a very unique way.
Like many modern releases,MultiVersusfeatures in-game seasons, battle passes, and its own storefront where players can purchase things like eye-catching re-skins for their favorite characters. While this can be a great way forMultiVersusto monetize itself while keeping fans continually engaged with post-launch content, the way that these premium skins are being implemented has already caused quite a lot of controversy within sections of the game’s community. In recent weeks, one specific in-game challenge has been directly tied to paid-for skins, and this has set a worrying precedent for the game’s future.
MultiVersus' Premium Skins Are Already Proving to Be Quite Controversial
Like a lot of live service games,MultiVersusprides itself on continually introducing fresh contentfor players to engage with. Away from the seasonal battle passes of the title, this content also includes limited-time events and challenges which often come with their own unique cosmetic unlocks that players can work towards.
While this is usually seen as a fun way to keep players engaged and earning tangible rewards, a recent challenge tied toMultiVersus' Summer Throwdown event has stirred up some controversy within the game’s community. Aside from the title’s usual daily and weekly missions, the Summer Bash mission had a unique challenge that required players to win a game while wearing a summer skin. This would not have been controversial at all at face value, with some summer skins being freely available, but the challenge specifically asked players to win while wearingthe Beach Ready skin forGame of Thrones' Arya.
This skin is only available inMultiVersusvia in-game purchases, meaning that players who were not willing to pay for it were completely strong-armed out of completing the challenge. Unlocking Arya as a playable character as well as gaining access to her Beach Ready skin can cost players close to $20, making it clear where the criticisms of this challenge have come from.
Microtransaction Challenges Could Be a Staple of MultiVersus' Future
Successful completion of the challenge gave players 600 XP towards the Summer Throwdown event, but it is worth noting that players who could not complete the challenge could earn this experience elsewhere. While it is understandable why so many were frustrated at the pay-wall of the Summer Bash mission, it is still possible tocomplete the Summer Throwdown event with a little more grinding, but some lingering controversy clearly remains.
Some players are concerned at how this kind of paywalled challenge might progress inMultiVersus' future, perhaps becoming more and more frequent and making the game’s microtransactions much more predatory.MultiVersushas already faced some prior criticism over how it has handled microtransactions, and the Arya Summer Bash mission is being seen as a step too far in the eyes of some players. While the mission does not actually block progress to any rewards and gives slightly more incentive for players to purchase certain skins, it will be interesting to seehowMultiVersushandles missions in the coming monthsfollowing the recent controversies surrounding Arya’s challenge.
