- Hitbox Evolution: Legacy Update 1.20 marked the pivotal transition from 3D to 2D hitboxes for fighters like Batman and Black Adam, a technical standard that remains the foundation of the 2026 live-service build.
- Economy Shift: The 2023 “ValentiNeon” event introduced Candy Hearts as a limited currency; in the 2026 era, these legacy items are categorized as “Vault Rarities” accessible only through the Prestige Shop.
- Competitive Foundation: This patch saw the return of Ranked Mode with strict “no duplicate” rules for 2v2, establishing the professional meta-structure used in current 2026 global tournaments.
Before the 2024 “From the Ground Up” rebuild and the subsequent Unreal Engine 5 migration that defines our current 2026 experience, MultiVersus Legacy Version 1.20 stood as a defining moment for Player First Games. Released on February 15, 2023, during the original Open Beta phase, this update was more than just a Valentine’s Day celebration—it was a massive technical overhaul that addressed the “Z-axis whiffing” issues that plagued early competitive play.
As we look back from the perspective of the current 2026 meta, the “ValentiNeon” era represents the first major attempt to professionalize the fighter’s hitboxes. While the current 2026 engine offers far superior netcode, the 2D hitbox conversion seen in this legacy patch saved the game from early obscurity.
ValentiNeon: The 2023 Legacy Event
The ValentiNeon event utilized a specialized currency known as Candy Hearts. While today’s events favor a unified “Omni-Shard” system, the 2023 economy was strictly siloed. Players earned 100 Candy Hearts for their first win of the day and 15 for every Toast received.
Archival Candy Shop Pricing (2023)
- Heart of Kahndaq (Black Adam): 14,000 Candy Hearts
- Aphrodite’s Blessing (Wonder Woman): 14,000 Candy Hearts
- ValentiNeon Surge Icon: 1,000 Candy Hearts
- Feel the Beat Sticker: 500 Candy Hearts
Technical Overhaul: The 2D Hitbox Transition
The most significant technical change in Version 1.20 was the conversion of several fighters’ hitboxes from 3D spheres to 2D planes. This was designed to eliminate instances where attacks would visually pass through an opponent but fail to register because they were slightly “behind” or “in front” of the character on the Z-axis.
Characters updated to 2D hitboxes in this patch included:
- Batman
- Black Adam
- Garnet
- Gizmo
- Harley Quinn
- Jake the Dog
- LeBron James
- Marvin the Martian
- Morty
- Superman
- Taz
- Tom and Jerry
- Velma
This reliability was a precursor to the precision we see in modern titles like WWE 2K26, where hitbox fidelity is paramount for professional play.
General Gameplay & Perk Adjustments
Version 1.20 introduced several quality-of-life improvements that players now take for granted in 2026:
- Dodge Meter Visibility: For the first time, the dodge meter became visible to all players in an online match, drastically increasing the transparency of resource management.
- Attack Decay VFX: Moves now transition from colored to gray when used in succession, a visual cue that has since been refined in the 2026 build with dynamic UI scaling.
- Dodge Jumps: A significant nerf was applied where starting a jump now immediately removes any remaining dodge invulnerability.
Perk Tuning
Aerial Acrobat: Air acceleration reduced from 10% to 5% (unstacked).
Snowball Effect: Damage increased from 7% to 10% (unstacked).
School Me Once: Light projectiles no longer proc the perk, a change that remains standard in the 2026 competitive rulebook.
Character Balance Highlights
| Character | Key Change | Legacy Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Black Adam | Weight reduced to 72 (from 80); Neutral Special cooldown increased to 18s. | Transitioned Black Adam from a “Tank-Hybrid” to a “Glass Cannon Mage.” |
| Finn | Weight reduced to 49; Gem cost increased to 200 gold. | The first major effort to curb Finn’s “backpack meta” dominance. |
| Jake | Weight reduced to 59 (from 69); Down Special whiff lag increased by 22 frames. | Ended the “House/Boat” spam era in high-level 1v1s. |
| Velma | Megaphone beam length reduced; Neutral Attack ammo cooldown increased to 14s. | Part of a series of nerfs that eventually led to her 2025 kit rework. |
While this patch notes archive serves as a technical time capsule, it highlights the iterative nature of platform fighters. The rigid “no duplicate” rule for Ranked 2v2 introduced here is now a core pillar of the 2026 Marathon competitive circuit. For modern players, understanding these legacy adjustments is key to appreciating the streamlined, high-speed combat of the current MultiVersus ecosystem.
“Version 1.20 was the moment MultiVersus stopped being a ‘fun experiment’ and started being a technical fighter. The 2D hitbox conversion was the foundation everything else was built upon.” — Asumetech Editorial Archive, 2026.
For more detailed records on the evolution of 2020s gaming, you can visit the Official MultiVersus Patch Archives to compare these legacy numbers with the 2026 live stats.
