MultiVersus adds Parrying and Dash Attack to spice up gameplay ahead of May 28 launch

The free-to-play platform fighter MultiVersus has added two crucial abilities on April 25 as the game inches ever closer to launch. Parrying and Dash Attack are now available to every existing character, with the goal of enhancing the game’s combat quality and adding “fun dimensions” to the game.

The new mobility-based ability in MultiVersus is Dash Attack, which helps close the distance between you and your opponent. After starting your running animation, you can strike your opponent with extra forward momentum, with added opportunities to start or end combo chains. According to the developers, the Dash Attack gives “greater complexity, mobility and player expression to the gamers.

Parry serves as another defensive addition to the game’s combat. It is a high-skill move that players can use if they’re confident of predicting the enemy attacks. Successful parrying will help you recover quicker than any other means, letting you launch a counterattack. However, it is a high-risk, high-reward move: If you miss your parry, you make yourself susceptible to incoming enemy damage.

In the same post, the developers stated that they wanted “to keep combat moving and fluid, and a parry gives you a ton of defensive expression while not slowing the pace of battle.” They also mentioned the goal of making it easier to see what the characters are doing, developing an “improved readability” for the players.

It will be interesting to see how these mechanics affect the overall gameplay of MultiVersus and if abilities like parrying unlock a new layer of skill ceiling in the game, especially with the new netcode.