WB’s MultiVersus included Ultra Instinct Shaggy from the beginning

Warner Bros.’ take on the platform fighter — a Super Smash Bros.-like game starring Batman, Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, et al. — has a long list of potential fighters to choose from. But Shaggy, specifically the heavily memed “Ultra Instinct” version of the Scooby-Doo slacker, was an obvious and early choice for MultiVersusIts creators claim that it is.

Chris White, chief technical officer and co-founder at developer Player First Games, told Polygon that Shaggy’s inclusion in MultiVersusThe plan included a part for X, and specifically his Dragon Ball-inspired form.

“That was one of the very first decisions that we made, even when the game was in very early concept phase,” White said. “In very early discussions of what characters we’d want to bring to the table, we were looking at a Change.org petition that had just a crazy number of signatures on it. It was very community driven — to see Shaggy in a fighting game.”

White noted that Ultra Instinct Shaggy was inspired by the animated movie of 2011. Scooby-Doo! Legend of Phantosaur, in which Shaggy single-handedly beats up a biker gang, and when Dragon Ball’s Goku first reached Ultra Instinct form in the Dragon Ball Super anime. Over 380,000 Change.org petitioners later lobbied Warner Bros., Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios for Ultra Instinct Shaggy to be in Mortal Kombat 11. While that didn’t come to pass, Shaggy did make a memorable cameo in an animated MK movie, Mortal Kombat Legends, Battle of the Realms.

“From our minds, there was almost no convincing at all needed to happen,” White said. “We just kind of said, like, ‘We think we should do this. The community would love it.’ And there was no pushback [from Warner Bros.]the matter. All were very excited, and quickly got on board. […] This is something that the community wants, and we’re not here to say that we’re above that. We want to embrace that.”

Image Credit: Player First Games/Warner Bros. Games

Shaggy is one of sixteen characters that have been confirmed. MultiVersus’ roster so far. Other names include Garnet from and Steven Steven UniverseJake, Finn, and Finn Adventure TimeDC super heroes Superman and Wonder Woman were also featured, as well as Reindog, an original character. White stated that there are many things to take into consideration when considering new fighters.

“We start looking at a couple of different angles,” he said. “What does the game need in its next character? Does the game need a specific theme? [element] that’s missing that we need to balance things out? Do you have a specific character mechanic? [that’s missing]? Are we in dire need of more assassins Are we in dire need of more assassins? […] So we’re looking at how does this fit into our overall ecosystem, and make sure we’re choosing characters that complement the game the best.”

White stated that audience demand is an important consideration.

“We look at the appeal of the IP and the history behind it, and what are fans looking forward to come to MultiVersus, to make sure that we have a wide representation of critically acclaimed and beloved IPs that we can bring in,” White explained. “There are just so many to choose from, and unfortunately, we sometimes have to say no to something to get something else in. This game will continue to evolve over time so that more players can join. But we definitely look at what’s the community looking for. We want the community to be bought into this as well, so we’re constantly looking at what’s kind of trending on social media, and what [IP]New investment is a good idea. […]We can possibly leverage cross-borders. All these elements are important. [determine] who’s coming to MultiVersus next.”

Image by Player First Games/Warner Bros. Games

How will the new characters roll out? MultiVersus isn’t clear yet, as White did not discuss Warner Bros. Games’ plans for monetizing the free-to-play game.

MultiVersusAn open beta test will take place in July. The open beta testing will take place in July. MultiVersusThe beta runs from May 19 to 27. You can sign up for the beta at MultiVersus’ official website.

MultiVersusIt was first announced on November 20, 2021. It features both a 2v2 team format and 1v1 or four-player free for all modes. MultiVersus is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X with full cross-play support, as well as “dedicated server-based rollback netcode and content-filled seasons.”