MultiVersus NHL Face-Off Announced

MultiVersus is finally coming back, and WB Games is determined to make sure that everyone knows about it. The company announced today a partnership with the NHL, which will result in the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off. The animated event will air Sunday, April 14th during a match-up between the Colorado Avalanche and the Las Vegas Golden Knights at 3:30 p.m. ET. Viewers can watch it on TruTv, as well as streaming on Max through the B/R Sports Add-on. The animated NHL game will feature MultiVersus characters like Bugs Bunny, Batman, and Velma skating alongside avatars of actual hockey players like Cale Makar and Jack Eichel. 

What is the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off?

Like Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Super Bowl event earlier this year, the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off is being billed as an “alternate telecast,” and those that want to watch a traditional broadcast of the game will still be able to do so on TNT and Max. The animated version “will use the NHL’s innovative NHL EDGE tracking technology to recreate the action on the ice as it happens in real-time,” which means that the results of the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off will replicate what’s actually happening in the real match-up. 

At this time, we don’t know which MultiVersus characters will appear on which team, but a special draft will take place on Sunday, April 7th. The draft will air as part of the post-game coverage following TNT’s airing of the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings game, which starts at 1 p.m. ET. In addition to characters from MultiVersus, the TruTV and Max broadcasts of the Avalanche/Golden Knights match will feature elements from the game’s stages, including Trophy’s E.D.G.E., Space Jam Court, Sky Arena, and the Adventure Time Tree Fort. Tasmanian Devil will be handling officiating duties. 

When is MultiVersus Coming Back?

MultiVersus is set to return on May 28th, and it will be a free-to-play game on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The open beta for MultiVersus came to an end last year, and there have been a lot of questions about how WB Games will build awareness around its return. MultiVersus will have been offline for 11 months by that point, and it’s possible a lot of fans have moved on to other games. However, WB has been making efforts to make sure everyone knows that the game is coming back. The MultiVersus NHL Face-Off is one of these efforts, and there’s also a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion that just came to an end. It remains to be seen whether these promotions will result in people actually playing MultiVersus when it comes back, but WB Games is clearly thinking of unique ways to get people interested! 

Are you excited for the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off? Do you plan on watching this version of the broadcast? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!