Will MultiVersus DLC be Free? No, All Future Characters Will Cost Money

Let‘s get right to the point – no, MultiVersus DLC characters will not be free additions to the base roster. All upcoming fighters post-launch will cost real money or a significant amount of in-game currency to unlock. While you can play MultiVersus for free, expanding the roster will require spending either time or cash.

As an avid MultiVersus player myself, I totally understand the appeal of free content updates. Who doesn‘t love surprise character reveals and day-one access to iconic franchises? But the reality is MultiVersus is supporting ongoing development through DLC sales. As disappointed as some may be, paid characters are necessary to ensure the game‘s longevity.

In this guide, I‘ll provide an in-depth look at MultiVersus‘ monetization strategy. You‘ll learn all about gleamium pricing, character costs, the Founder‘s Pack value, and whether any content will be free. I‘ll also share my thoughts on whether the model feels fair. Let‘s dive in!

A Thorough Breakdown of MultiVersus Monetization

As a free-to-play game, MultiVersus offers various in-game purchases to generate revenue. Before looking specifically at new fighters, let‘s overview all the current monetization methods:

• Battle Pass – The standard progression track with free cosmetic rewards. A Premium version with better rewards can be bought for gleamium.
• Gleamium – Premium currency purchased with real money. Used to acquire cosmetics, characters, etc.
• Founder‘s Packs – One-time bundles with characters, gleamium, and cosmetics. No longer available.
• DLC Characters – New fighters released post-launch. Must be purchased with gleamium or in-game gold.

This model allows the game to be fully free-to-play while monetizing mostly cosmetic content. But clearly the must-have additions for many players will be new characters.

Below I‘ll share the hard numbers on what gleamium, characters, and Founder‘s Packs cost.

Gleamium Pricing Packs

Here are the gleamium pack prices currently available:

As you can see, buying gleamium separately is not cheap! You‘re looking at $10 USD for only 1,000 gleamium.

This is why the Founder‘s Packs provided immense value when first released. Let‘s look at those bundles next.

Founder‘s Pack Contents & Pricing

The Founder‘s Packs granted big gleamium bundles plus characters, cosmetics, and more:

Buying 4,500 gleamium alone would cost $110! The Premium Pack offered insane value compared to purchasing content separately.

Sadly, these limited-time Founder‘s Packs are now retired. But their pricing still gives us insight into the value of gleamium and characters.

DLC Character Pricing

According to the developers, all upcoming characters released post-launch will cost:

• 700 Gleamium – Roughly $7 based on standard pack pricing.
• 2000-3000 Gold – Earnable through extensive gameplay over time.

Morty from Rick & Morty, arriving in Season 1, will cost 700 gleamium. Other DLC fighters like Rick Sanchez and Black Adam will likely be the same.

With this much detail, you can see MultiVersus‘ monetization strategy relies heavily on selling new characters and gleamium. Let‘s look at what content will remain free.

Some Content Will Remain Free…But Characters Won‘t

MultiVersus‘ developers have clarified that only new characters will be paid DLC. Other updates like stages, modes, and balance changes will be free. Specifically:

• New original stages and stage variants
• New game modes added post-launch
• General gameplay improvements and balance changes
• New cosmetics on the free Battle Pass track

So MultiVersus will continue expanding for all players with free content. But having the latest and greatest characters will require opening your wallet.

Personally, I don‘t mind paying a few bucks for iconic fighters like Rick Sanchez or Gandalf. But I know many players strongly prefer expanding rosters to be free.

MultiVersus sits in a tricky balance between profit and accessibility. Do you think the monetization model feels fair?

Does This Business Model Feel Fair to Players?

Whether MultiVersus‘ approach feels justified depends on your perspective. Here are two ways of looking at it:

Reasons it seems fair:

• The entire base game is free-to-play
• No core gameplay content or modes are locked behind purchases
• All characters can be earned through sufficient gameplay
• Monetization is limited to optional cosmetics and DLC

Reasons it seems unfair:

• Popular and exciting characters are locked behind paywalls
• Earning enough gold for new fighters takes tremendous grind
• Character pricing may seem too high for casual or budget players
• Fighting game fans expect new roster additions to be free

Personally, I think MultiVersus strikes a fair balance for a free-to-play title. The game never forces you to pay to progress or enjoy the core experience. All gameplay content is accessible without spending.

However, I do wish the gold costs for new characters were a bit more affordable for casual players. Even as someone who has put in over 50 hours already, I‘ve only earned around 10k gold so far. Unlocking each new fighter through gameplay alone will take weeks of dedication.

But in the end, MultiVersus remains entirely playable for free. The monetization could certainly be worse – just look at GRID Legends, charging $10 per car! Compared to other titles, I believe MultiVersus‘ model sits in a reasonable place.

Key Takeaways – Enjoy the Game for Free, But DLC Will Cost You

Let‘s summarize the key points:

• All post-launch MultiVersus characters will cost real money or significant amounts of in-game currency. No new fighters will be added to the base roster for free.
• The Founder‘s Packs offered great value, but are now retired. Buying gleamium separately is expensive.
• Some new content like stages will still be free, but characters are monetized.
• The monetization model seems fair for a free game, but some players will certainly be turned off by pricy DLC.

MultiVersus strikes a tricky balance between profitability and accessibility. While not the most consumer-friendly tactic, paid characters avoid gameplay paywalls and keep the title enjoyable for casual players.

At the end of the day, I believe MultiVersus still offers an amazing experience even if you never pay a dime. But players hoping to immediately unlock Batman or Walter White will need to shell out cash or get grinding that gold.

Thanks for reading this in-depth guide to MultiVersus monetization! Let me know if you have any other questions.