MultiVersus has just gone live on PS5 and PS4 with its open beta test in early access, with the doors fully opening in a week's time. The game — a platform fighter from Warner Bros. featuring characters from all corners of TV and film — is a free-to-play title, meaning there's no barrier to entry at all. You don't need a PS Plus subscription to play, either. However, one look at the add-ons for the game and it gets pretty damn pricey.
There is not one but three variations of the Founder's Pack — Standard, Deluxe, and Premium editions, each offering you more in-game goodies of course. These start at £32.99 / $39.99 for the Standard pack, then you're looking at £49.99 / $59.99 for the Deluxe edition and a whopping £79.99 / $99.99 for the Premium version. Whichever option you're tempted by, it's a lot to pay upfront.
So, what do you get for your money? The Standard Founder's Pack includes 15 character tokens (which are used to instantly unlock fighters), 300 Gleamium (a premium currency), and one Rare Banner. So you're paying for the ability to play as any character immediately, no unlocks required, enough premium currency to get the Preseason Battle Pass, and a cosmetic.
The Deluxe and Premium editions provide extra cosmetic items as well as more character tokens, Gleamium, and access to Battle Passes. You can see everything laid out in the above image. All told, it's not a terrible package, but 80 quid for all these bits and bobs seems egregious to us.
For reference, Gleamium can also be bought separately. The lowest denomination is 450, which costs £3.99 / $4.99. This goes up to 6,000 Gleamium for £39.99 / $49.99. This is used to purchase premium Battle Passes as well as certain cosmetics, and you don't get a tonne of it in any of the Founder's Packs, so we're struggling to understand the value. Obviously, all free-to-play games need to make their money somehow, but MultiVersus seems pretty aggressive off the bat with all this.
Still, characters can be unlocked using Gold you earn through regular play, and there are still a few neat things to get in the free Battle Pass. We imagine the game's economy will also shift over time — it's really the Founder's Packs that are going to raise some eyebrows.
Will you be laying down any dosh in MultiVersus? Tell us (nicely) in the comments section below.
[source store.playstation.com]
Comments 32
It is WB. I can't say I'm surprised by these prices.
I have seen founder packs for other games that give way more bang for your money, and even cheaper. But this is WB, so not even surprised seeing this.
It's really depressing to see that this is what kids are being raised on. The next generations will only know the F2P microtransaction model...which is exactly how the big publishers wanted. Less and less pushback because it will be perceived as "the norm". I wonder which console generation I'll finally call it quits and forego buying the next one?
At least I'll always have my retro games...unless the publishers send assassin cyborgs to terminate all my physical media.
Im from an age of gaming where you had to play to unlock characters, like in Tekken 2. So, I may actually prefer the play to unlock mechanic in the game. Granted, it could be a horrible grind.
They should have done what Brawlhalla does where you can buy the pack that gets you all current and future characters.
I'll probably buy it. The skins in this game will at least make sense for me because they're canon.
Urgh, what a lot of toxic 😤😤 there are so many great games out there to play without exploitation that are more enjoyable
Is this game ONLY online multiplayer? B/c I'm thinking it would really suck to lay out $90 for the Founders pack only to find out 3 days later b/c there is no one else to play with. Smash may be a bit much starting at $60 w/ 2 season passes but at least you could play the single player content in that game literally for hours, I think Spirits runs about 30 hours my kids told me.
One of the bad things about spending $8 on Fortnite is that I kind of feel like I lost the ability to knock these things now. I don't regret the $8, money well spent, but I don't want to be a hypocrite so I'm stuck.😝
Lol no thanks.
I was interested at this game at first, but after seeing the trophy list and now this ill probably never touch this game.
Someone hand me a bucket..
If I'm still enjoying it after a month of it being out, I might toss them $10. There aren't many f2p games that I've played for more than a month besides Warframe though, and I've only given them $40 (it should be $80 because I freaking love that game).
There are no F2Play games only F2Pay games. So funny that a founder pack is more expensive the a full priced firstparty game. F### all the F2P games
Removed - inappropriate
I’m not understanding the frustration with this approach. $40 for 15 characters is the equivalent of a base edition fighter game and the latter are the equivalent of a couple seasons of DLC characters.
A ftp game in beta but they'll still take your money if your gullible enough to give it them lol
If i like the game enough i may decide to buy the standard one but they can sod off with the others.
Played a few matched already. Tottally worth the $40 pack for me lol.
Best free to play i've ever Played
@Flaming_Kaiser
It's a pack and you don't have to buy it to play. Just wait. And it's $40 and totally optional. Jesus
I'd play the beta but I didn't get a code from signing up & I'm not going to create a twitch account & watch someone else play the game for an hour just so I can test there game for them lol
I don't see anything wrong with it. People complain about f2p games. Well, this makes it a normal game, right? With the basic game (standard edition), deluxe, and premium/ultimate-legendary edition.
Where's the problem, exactly?
@Gunnerzaurus but even when they're free, they're like "I was interested till I saw fp2". You simply can't win with those people.
@Wilforce don't try to use logic. It's not very effective when it comes to people who are blinded by their bias.
@Gunnerzaurus Oh trust me I've been complaining about this ever since the elder scroll's horse armor. I've slowly seen everything get worse and worse with people dismissing it as "oh come on it's JUST this. Or IT'S only that." Like turning up the heater slowly to boil a frog.
@ATaco I'll call it quits when I can't play a God of War or Ghost of Tsushima without a bunch of ads popping up all over the place.
@naruball It’s not that I don’t relate to the frustration. F2P games are too prone to random, last-minute shutdowns. It’s just some developers are especially prone to this habit - Square Enix being one of many examples. However, it isn’t fair to judge all companies equally because devs like Digital Extremes and Hi-Rez take a very fair approach to F2P.
@Wilforce very well said.
I think it's a good balance.
Just 5 years ago, the norm was to have an upfront price for a game like this, but multiplayer games have to go FTP nowadays in order to maximise playerbase.
This allows those interested in the game to get all the basics for a reasonable price, while also allowing those only slightly interested to try it out free of charge.
Importantly, they're keeping upgrades/perks/abilities separate from monetisation, which prevents it being pay to win.
Given developers need to make money somehow, this is seems to be the least toxic way to do it. Can someone suggest a better way?
@CapGod I still hate F2Pay
@Flaming_Kaiser
Lol. It's skins. The game is free lol.
Lol
@TeapotBuddha "but i dont think that forfeits the right to criticise them"
Oh I can still criticize games, I just can't say things like "What kind of idiot would pay for a skin that doesn't do anything in a free game?" b/c now I'm obviously that kind of idiot. 😂
And yeah, if you have an addictive personality you're done for, "whales" are a thing. Fortunately I mostly don't care, about anything anymore. If I play Fortnite for another 6 months or whatever and don't spend any more $, $8 is fine. I can' imagine a lot of people can't stop though once they start.
@Gunnerzaurus What can I say? You're not wrong and I saw it all slowly unfold before me. I'll take comfort in the fact that I tried my hardest never to support practices that I felt were scammy or bad for the industry but it seems this is the direction people wanted it to go. This is why I say that I may very well have to call it quits in terms of buying new consoles and new games. At the very least there are already more than enough games that have already come out that I'll never run out of things to play. Hopefully we preserve that legacy...
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