How to play MultiVersus 1v1 with friends

A MultiVersus 1v1 match is chosen by deselecting the team options from the main menu and selecting the solo fights option instead. However, keep in mind like all of Multiversus, that won't be an option from June 25th 2023, when servers will be shut down for a minimum of six months while it moves out of the beta period. Admittedly, players will still have access to local multiplayer, so one-on-one gameplay will still be possible. If that appeals, or if you just want to make the most of brawling in the time being, here's how to play Multiversus 1v1 in more detail, as well as some single player tips for that different dynamic.

How to play 1v1 in MultiVersus

To play MultiVersus 1v1, players need to simply do the following:

1. From the main menu, press the main "Play" button

2. Go into the tab "Online"

3. Head into the secondary tab "Normal"

4. Select "1 vs 1" on the right (marked by a yellow tick on the top-right of the image)

5. Deselect "Teams"

6. When you hit "Confirm," you'll be put into any kind of match among the playlists you've selected.

This is the big issue - by not deselecting Teams, players can still get put into those matches - and because Teams is a much more popular playlist, you're far more likely to end up in those sorts of games, even though it's given no more prominence in the UI.

MultiVersus Knockback Tutorial

Having trouble with the MultiVersus knockback tutorial? We'll explain how to beat it here.

So in brief, it's simply a matter of selecting 1 vs 1 from the Normal Playlists, and making sure that you deselect the Teams option before confirming, which'll allow you to play 1v1 without issue. If it's been a while, you'll also have a nice little MultiVersus rested XP bonus waiting for you too.

Speaking of which, when picking characters, it's best to pick a Hybrid character and somebody with a bit of versatility - an all-rounder, so to speak. Superman, Shaggy, Jake, Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn are all powerful options, as they're characters who can work well on their own. You also want to consider carefully the best MultiVersus perks - the bonuses that work well for teams don't necessarily work as well when it comes to solo battles.

Contrarily, supporting roles like Reindog and Steven Universe might struggle to find much help with no allies to support (or give a MultiVersus Toast to afterwards). We also suggest being wary when it comes to characters like Bugs Bunny, who often rely on a partner to draw aggro while they fire shots from a safe distance. If you do play such a character, you either want to go so aggressive that the opponent doesn't have the chance to hit back, or spend half the game playing evasion to stay out of their way - maybe both.

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

With contributions from

Leon HurleyManaging editor for guides