No matter how much the developers try for a balanced game, a meta will always emerge, especially in live service games like MultiVerso. Whether or not that meta is healthy for the game depends on a variety of factors. Unfortunately, the Warner Brothers-themed fighting platformer is going through a bit of a crisis when it comes to the meta established by the latest round of MultiVerso balance changes.
The developers at Player First Games are generally gone MultiVersus' Large-scale balancing of two patches per season: launch and midseason, perfectly aligned with the addition of each new character. The latest Season 3 balance patch saw the rise of one character in particular, who is now capable of true, inescapable combos that hit the opponent at 0%.
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Banana Guard has dominated since the Season 3 mid-season update
The Banana Guard problem in MultiVersus
Banana Guard has been a controversial figure since his place on the roster became public knowledge. But his latest set of buffs in the mid-season patch have turned him into an absolute monster in terms of effectiveness. The most recent changes to the game have made him one of the most dangerous fighters on the roster with some of the most powerful killing potential.
For another character, this meta might not be a problem. After all, there will always be some characters who are better than others. This is the nature of video games as a whole. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his inclusion in the roster as a joke character, a fighter like Banana Guard being the top-tier pick in the game is not a healthy state for a fighting game to be in.
Why a Banana Guard meta is unhealthy for MultiVersus
You can't avoid a meta in general; there will always be one, no matter how hard the developers try to make everything balanced. In a perfect world, a game's meta should have the most powerful characters, weapons, and tools locked behind a high skill level, meaning the most powerful things in the game should be the hardest to use. This philosophy rewards players who put time and practice into the game and ultimately encourages the rest of the player base to improve.
When it comes to MultiVersoArya 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 solid understanding of the fundamentals of her kit, her combos, and the game as a whole. Her damage is very high if played well, but she is still super light and easy to kill if the player doesn't know what they're doing. Arya has the highest potential of all MultiVersobut only if the player puts in the hours and learns, meaning there won't be a million Aryas destroying people constantly.
Banana Guard, on the other hand, was designed as a very beginner-friendly character. He has simple, high-damage moves, easy combo strings, and, as anyone who's fought him can attest, 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 the player's introduction to the game. It's super easy to pick up and do relatively well right out of the gate; the kind of character where someone could give their little brother the controller and they would be able to recognize it pretty easily and have fun. The problem is making that type of character too effective. So the game presents a situation where even casually invested players are capable of becoming a threat with minimal effort or expression of skill.
The Banana Guard's reign of terror is unlikely to last long. The Powerpuff Girls lunged MultiVerso with a 0-to-death combo count at the start of Season 3 and the developers fixed the issue within two days. But it is clear to anyone that a simple character like Banana Guard cannot remain so powerful for long. Otherwise, the developers risk ruining the game's long-term appeal and competitive scene.