MultiVersus may have a meta problem

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No matter how hard the developers try to have a balanced game, the meta will always appear, especially in live service games like MultiVersus. Whether or not this meta is healthy for the game depends on a number of factors. Unfortunately, the Warner Brothers-themed platformer has a bit of a crisis when it comes to the meta introduced by the last round MultiVersus changes in balance.




Developers from Player First Games have generally left MultiVersus' on a large scale, it balances on two patches per season: start and midseason, perfectly matching the addition of each new character. Season 3's latest balance patch has seen the rise of one character in particular, who is now capable of true, unavoidable combos that challenge the opponent to 0%.

multiversus-stages-tier-list

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Banana Guard has been dominating since the mid season 3 update

Banana Guard issue in MultiVersus

Banana Guard has been a controversial figure since his roster spot became public knowledge. But his latest series of buffs in the mid-season patch made him an absolute monster in terms of his effectiveness. Recent changes to the game have made him one of the most dangerous fighters on the roster with the strongest kill potential.


For another character, this meta might not be a problem. After all, there will always be characters that will be better than others. That's the nature of video games as a whole. Regardless of what anyone thinks of him being on the roster as a joke character, a fighter like Banana Guard being the top pick in the game is not a healthy state for a fighting game.

Why Banana Guard Meta is unhealthy for MultiVersus

In general, the meta cannot be avoided; there will always be one, no matter how hard the developers try to keep everything balanced. In a perfect world, a game's meta should have the most powerful characters, weapons, and tools locked behind high skill levels – meaning the most powerful things in the game should be the worst to use. This philosophy rewards players who put in the time and practice, and ultimately encourages the rest of the player base to improve themselves.


When it comes down to it MultiVersusArya is a great example of this. She's been powerful since the game's relaunch, but she won't thrive unless the player has a firm grasp on the basics of both her set, her combo strings, and the game as a whole. Her damage is very high when you play it right, but she's still super light and easy to kill if the player doesn't know what she's doing. Arya has one of the highest potentials MultiVersusbut only if the player puts in the hours and learns, meaning there won't be a million Aryas constantly destroying people.

Banana Guard, on the other hand, was designed to be a very beginner-friendly character. He has simple high damage moves, easy combo strings, and as anyone who has fought him can attest to, some very forgiving hitboxes on all of his attacks. There is definitely a place for characters like this, as Banana Guard is meant to be an introduction to the game for players. It's super easy to just pick up and relatively good to work with right out of the gate; the type of character where someone could hand their little sibling a controller and they could pick it up pretty easily and have a good time. The problem is that this character type is too efficient. Then there's the situation where even casually invested players can become threats with very little effort or display of skill.


The Banana Guard's reign of terror is unlikely to last long. The Powerpuff Girls started MultiVersus with the number of combos from 0 to death at the beginning of season 3 and the developers solved this problem in two days. But it's clear to everyone that a character as simple as Banana Guard can't stay that strong for long. Otherwise, developers risk destroying the game's long-term appeal and competitive scene.

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