Multiversus patch 1.02 overhauls hitboxes, hurtboxes & projectiles – see the patch notes

The promised overhaul to Multiversus‘ hitboxes, hurtboxes and projectiles is here with the release of patch 1.02 for the popular Warner Bros. brawler. This comes alongside a broad rebalancing of all the game’s 18 playable characters, and the release of a new one!

Patch 1.02 is coming out today with server maintenance taking place beforehand. Expect this to be concluded by 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST.

The hitboxes and hurtboxes affect the fighting game’s hit detection and were quickly identified after Multiversus’ beta release as being far too loose. Originally the hurtbox that you needed to make contact with was a basic pill shape that sat on top of the character, regardless of their animation, but with patch 1.02, they now more closely fit to the character model’s silhouette.

Meanwhile, the projectile system in update 1.02 has standardised the behaviour of projectiles to simplify the system. Now, equivalent ‘normal’ projectiles that hit each other will both be destroyed. If it’s a new ‘heavy’ projectile type, this can break through the normal ones, will resist being reflected, and will only be destroyed by hitting another heavy projectile.

All 18 characters have been rebalanced, with Morty, Finn and Harley all being buffed, while Shaggy, Superman and others being nerfed. There’s also the release of Gizmo as a new character to play as.

Here’s the Multiversus patch 1.02 notes:

GENERAL

• Gizmo will be arriving on 09/08! He has his popcorn and is ready to pop off!
• Spectator Mode now displays Team Colors properly

GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS

Hitbox/Hurtbox Update

This patch includes our hitbox/hurtbox system overhaul. Our goal with this update is to more tightly tie hitboxes and hurtboxes to our character animations. We will be keeping an eye on how this update affects the player experience and we are ready to implement additional patches if any problems arise. This will be a process for us to get there, but this is our first step towards truly accurate hitbox/hurtbox detection and gives us a foundation to permanently fixing issues going forward.

Changes:

• Hurtboxes updated on every character.
• Hitboxes updated on most attacks. Specific adjustments may not be listed in the character notes.

Projectile Systems Update

This patch also includes the first part of our projectile systems update. MultiVersus is a game that thrives on interesting interactions between fighters, between allies, and between projectiles, but a player shouldn’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of every attack in the game to feel comfortable understanding those interactions. Our goal with this update is to standardize global projectile behaviors so players can better adapt strategies around projectiles. This update is just the first part of our projectile systems changes, so expect more updates in a future patch.

Changes:

• Standardized opposing projectiles to always clank, destroying both projectiles
• Introduced the Heavy Projectile – Heavy Projectiles break enemy projectiles, can only clank with other Heavy Projectiles, and cannot be reflected
• Barriers and buffs that “Block Projectiles” more consistently block all projectiles.
• Projectiles that explode no longer hit fighters that blocked the projectile.

Directional Action Key Mappings for Keyboard

• Directional Attacks and Specials can now be mapped to specific keyboard keys. For example, Down Attack can be mapped to a key so that you can perform Down Attacks without also Fast Falling.
• In total, there are 8 new keyboard binds: Up Attack, Right Attack, Down Attack, Left Attack, Up Special, Right Special, Down Special, Left Special.

Miscellaneous Gameplay Updates:

• Adjusted character mesh vertical offsets so that characters’ feet don’t clip into the floor as much. This change also involved adjusting the floor collision for the following maps: Scooby’s Haunted Mansion, Cromulons, Cromulons (1 vs 1), Tree Fort (1 vs 1), and all versions of Sky Arena.
• Wall, floor, and ceiling bounces no longer restore Dodge Meter energy.
• Improved input handling when an Attack/Special is executed at the same time as a jump. In the past, it was possible for jumps to interrupt Attacks and Specials, thus leading to “ignored” actions. This change will improve the responsiveness of short hop Attacks and Specials.

GENERAL PERKS

• Clear The Air: Updated description text to explain that perk effect only applies to non-Heavy Projectiles
• Ice To Beat You!: Projectiles will only apply Ice debuff to fighters that are not already debuffed by Ice
  • This change was already released for online matches and will now be applied in local play
• I’ll Take That: Unstacked cooldown refund decreased from 0.5 seconds to 0.25 seconds
  • Stacked cooldown refund decreased from 1 second to 0.5 seconds
  • This change was already released for online matches and will now be reflected in local play
• Make it Rain, Dog!: Unstacked projectile speed buff reduced to 10% from 20%
  • Stacked projectile speed buff reduced to 20% from 25%
  • Perk description text for this change will not be updated until the next patch
• Sturdy Dodger: Fixed an issue where the perk would not stack properly

MAPS

2v2 Tree Fort Map

• Trampoline tree health reduced to 15 from 30

Trophy’s E.D.G.E.

• Fix minor asymmetry in the main platform’s collision so that it is now perfectly centered.

Cromulons and Cromulons (1 vs 1)

• Added a new floating platform to both versions of Cromulons.

CHARACTERS

Legend:

+ Buff
– Nerf
~ Change

Arya

• + Assassin Passive: Removed 5% additional damage taken debuff
• – Air/Ground Up Special: Reverted to Early Access version of up special
  • We were finding that skill and counterplay was being removed from Arya with the addition of the vacuuming effect making follow ups nearly always true. This revert will give opponents the ability to affect the outcome by use of Knockback Influence (KBI) and Arya air control to compensate for the opponent’s KBI.
• ~ Air/Ground Up Special: Fixed a bug that caused Arya’s dash on hit to stop working after Taz turns her into a chicken.
• – Air/Ground Neutral Special: Fixed an issue with long lingering hitboxes on Arya stolen face neutral special.

Batman

We’re watching Batman closely. The Projectile Systems update will make it so all projectiles will properly destroy the batarang so we want to see how this plays out for a bit before further adjustments. The goal is to make Batman Batarang have understandable counterplay.

• ~ Air Down Special: Knockback angle changed to send victims more horizontally
• ~ Air Side Attack: When landing the attack will allow carrying movement momentum earlier
• + Ground Down Special: Fixed a bug that was preventing Projectile Sidestep from dodging all projectiles
• + Ground Side Attack: Fixed a bug that was causing the first jab to be delayed going into jab 2 when playing online

Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny is still a bit too safe and unpunishable due to land-canceling recovery. The new active frames adjustment and global hurtbox updates will hopefully make Bugs Bunny’s up air attack more manageable from the opponent’s side.

• ~ Air Side Special: Rocket now classified as a Heavy Projectile
  • Purple effect added to indicate armor break property
• ~ Air Up Special: Rocket now classified as a Heavy Projectile
  • Purple effect added to indicate armor break property
  • Cooldown attack no longer consumes all aerial special uses
• – Air/Ground Neutral Special: Safe now classified as a Heavy Projectile
  • Barriers and buffs that block projectiles now deactivate the safe hitbox until the safe is hit again
• – Air Down Attack: Recovery land cancel window delayed 2 frames
• – Air Side Attack: Recovery land cancel window delayed 3 frames
• – Air Up Attack: Hitbox active frames reduced
• – Ground Neutral Attack: Frame window to cancel into another Ground Neutral Attack delayed
• – Weight: Lowered to 50 from 55
• – Comin’ Through Doc signature perk: Hitbox active duration reduced to 0.25s from 0.5s

Finn

• + Assassin Passive: Removed 5% damage taken debuff
• + Passive: Increased starting gold to 200 from 100
• + Air/Ground Neutral Special: Fixed an issue where the shockwave from high-fiving an ally would not hit enemies
• + Air Up Special: Adjusted vacuum hitbox to more consistently combo into the final hit
• + Ground Down Attack: Increased minimum distance traveled
  • Adjusted vacuum hitbox to more consistently combo into the final hit

Garnet

• + Air/Ground Neutral Special: When Garnet bubbles a projectile, the projectile will not be able to hit herself or allies until the bubble expires
• + Air/Ground Side Special: Increased projectile speed to 2200 from 2000
  • Recovery frames decreased to allow for follow up combos from the hit
• + Air Side Attack: Side attack 1 on-hit cancel window moved earlier
  • Side attack 1 combos better into Side Attack 2

Harley

• + Assassin Passive: Removed 5% additional damage taken debuff
• + Movement Speed: Increased to 1875 from 1825

Iron Giant

• – Passive: RAGE mode gray health reduced to 15 from 30
• – Air Up Attack: Reduced damage to 5 from 6.
• – Air/Ground Neutral Special: Ability and ammo cooldowns are now static cooldowns. Static cooldowns are not affected by cooldown reduction perks or buffs. Consuming an item or Iron Giant’s art will still grant one bolt.
  • Ability cooldown increased to 25s from 23s
• – Air Neutral Attack: Whiff recovery increased

Jake

• ~ Air/Ground Neutral Special: If Jake eats multiple opponents, he will spit them all out on the first spit.
  • Spitting no longer counts towards air special count. Jake can aerial spit even if he has exhausted his air specials.
  • Spit opponents are now properly classified as projectiles
  • Weakened stacks applied on hit reduced to 2 from 5
• – Air/Ground Down Special: Attack duration reduced to 3 seconds from infinite duration
  • Can no longer hit the same enemy multiple times
• ~ Air Side Attack: Whiff recovery increased 6 frames
  • Land cancel window delayed to match increased whiff recovery
  • On-hit cancel window moved 2 frames earlier
  • This should give the opponent more of a window to punish Jake on a whiffed attack, while also giving Jake more of an opportunity to successfully follow up from a hit attack
• – Air Down Attack: Damage reduced on first two hits
  • Third hit ignite duration reduced to 0.5 seconds from 1 second

LeBron James

• ~ Air Down Attack: Knockback angle pushed to be more horiztonal
• + Basketball: Enemies can no longer hit the basketball
  • The basketball will always bounce back when blocked by projectile-blocking effects
• + Ball Ground Neutral Special: Ground pass projectile speed increased (Air version unaffected)
• + No Ball Air Side Attack: Hitbox active frame window moved 3 frames earlier
• + Ball Ground Up Attack: Hitbox active frame window moved earlier
  • On-hit cancel window moved earlier to allow for more reliable combo follow-ups
• + Ball Ground Down Attack: Cancel window moved earlier

Morty

• + Passive: Ally grenade passive has been enabled
• ~ Air/Ground Neutral Special: Ammo cooldown increased to 13s from 12s
  • Knockback scaling increased from 23 to 25
  • Grenades can now be knocked back by ally projectiles. Enemy projectiles will destroy grenades.
• ~ Air/Ground Down Special: Fixed issues where Morty or his ally would be randomly pulled back to the save point. This will now only trigger when the ally is near the blast zone.
• + Air Side Special: Portal aim reticle now only shows for the Morty player in online matches
• + Ground Side Special: More consistently hits projectiles
• ~ Air/Ground Neutral Attack: Fixed an issue where the blaster could spawn two shots when fired
  • Knockback direction now based on projectile velocity
  • Knockback scaling increased
• ~ Ground Up Attack: Fixed an issue where the blaster could spawn two shots when fired
  • Knockback direction now based on projectile velocity
  • Knockback scaling increased
• + Ground Side Attack: Full jab combo now connects more reliably
• + Extra Fleeb Juice signature perk: Now cleans up Tom and Jerry’s mousetrap
  • Now cleans up Garnet’s electric zone

Reindog

• + Air/Ground Neutral Attack: Enemies can no longer hit the spit projectile
• + Air Up Attack: Vacuum knockback applied to first hit to help the two hits chain together more reliably
• – Ground Neutral Attack: Holding down and dodging no longer cancels into the next attack as quickly to prevent extremely rapid firing of the projectile attack

Shaggy

• ~ Rage Air/Ground Down Special: Super sandwich now classified as a Heavy Projectile
• ~ Air/Ground Side Special: Bug Fix Correctly branches to other attacks on hit for non rage side specials
• – Ground Down Attack: Armor removed from the attack and knockback angle pushed to be more horizontal
• – Weight: Lowered to 68 from 76
• – Ground Up Special: Jump cancel in ground up air special is delayed to prevent a true combo into Air Up Special because it was killing at unexpectedly low damage.

Steven Universe

• – Air/Ground Up Special: After spawning 2 shields with his Up Special, Steven must land on solid ground before he can spawn more shields with his Up Special.

Superman

• ~ Air Up Special:
  • Fixed a bug where Superman could grab enemies from far away as they bounced off of walls
  • Later startup on active hit frames
• ~ Air Side Special: Fixed a bug where Superman could grab enemies from far away as they bounced off of walls
  • Flight speed is reduced after Superman grabs an enemy so it won’t carry enemies as far.
• – Air/Ground Down Special: Now has an ammo cooldown. Superman spawns with 2 ammo. One new ammo returns every 8 seconds.
  • This is to prevent heat vision camping, where Superman would only use this attack over and over.
• – Ground Down Attack: Hitbox active frames reduced.
• – Ground Up Attack: Hitboxes adjust so the attack no longer hits behind him.

Taz

• ~ Skins: Beachcomber Taz hat fixed to look more like his profile icon
• ~ Passive: Max Tasty stacks increased to 18 from 16
  • Chicken movement speed reduced to 1200 from 1550
  • Chicken maximum health reduced to 15 from 30
  • Chicken duration reduced to 6 seconds from 8
• + Air/Ground Neutral Special: Taz can now eat and spit Bugs’s safe, Bugs’s rocket, and Shaggy’s super sandwich
  • Eating an enemy in the air now applies 2 weakened stacks
• + Air/Ground Side Special: On-cooldown tornado duration increased to 0.45s from 0.25s
• + Air/Ground Down Special: Recovery frames decreased to allow for better combo follow ups
  • Air/Ground Up Special allows canceling to dodge and jump to be able to escape while in the air
• ~ Iron Stomach signature perk: Anvil now classified as a Heavy Projectile
  • Fixed issues with Taz’s item throw animation
• – I Gotta Get In There! signature perk: Taz’s ally can only enter the dogpile one time per use.

Tom And Jerry

• ~ Jerry Air/Ground Up Special: Jerry no longer hits enemies immediately after the rocket explodes (damage compensated)
• – Jerry:
  • Jerry now classified as a Heavy Projectile while in flight
  • No longer refreshes his cooldown if he dies while attached to an ally
  • Reduced cork ammo to 2 from 3 (cork ammo while attached to ally unchanged)
• – Air Side Attack: Added 3 frames of recovery
  • Land cancel window delayed 7 frames
• – Air Down Attack: Added 3 frames of recovery
  • Land cancel window delayed by 3 frames
• – Ground Side Attack: Jab 1 hitbox active frame window moved 2 frames later
• – Dynamite Split signature perk: Split dynamite sticks now detonate when they hit terrain

Velma

• ~ Passive: Instead of calling the police, Velma now solves the mystery and calls the Mystery Inc. gang and the Mystery Machine to take the bad guys away.
• – Air Up Special: No longer applies weakened stacks on hit
• – Air/Ground Neutral Attack: No longer heals Velma when she hits an ally with a speech bubble
• – Movement Speed: Reduced to 2100 from 2200
• – Weight: Reduced to 52 from 55

Wonder Woman

• ~ Air/Ground Neutral Special: Lasso is no longer classified as a projectile
• ~ Ground Down Attack: No longer breaks projectiles while charging
• – Weight: Reduced to 71 from 76
• – Movement Speed: Reduced to 2225 from 2250

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* This article was originally published here