Steven Universe has made his mark on the MultiVersus roster with a wholly unique playstyle that revolves around protecting his allies and disrupting opponents with bubble shields. As one of the most costly characters in the game at 3000 gold, Steven has a high skill ceiling and a lot of hidden tech that players are still discovering. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into Steven‘s kit, combos, strategies, and place in the metagame, drawing insights from frame data, community feedback, and the experiences of top MultiVersus competitors.
Steven‘s Strengths and Weaknesses
On paper, Steven looks like an unimpressive support character with mediocre kill power and limited mobility. However, his true potential lies in his ability to completely nullify damage for himself and his teammate with well-timed dodges and bubbles. In 2v2 play, a skilled Steven player can swing entire matches by enabling hyper-aggressive playstyles and rescuing allies from otherwise deadly situations.
According to data from tracker.gg, Steven has a respectable win rate of 51.2% in 2v2 at the highest level of play. While this puts him slightly below the top supports like Velma (54.3%) and Reindog (52.1%), Steven has steadily risen in popularity since his release, with a current pick rate of 7.8% that continues to climb as players master his unorthodox moveset.
However, Steven‘s reliance on dodges and shields also makes him vulnerable to counterplay from enemies who can bait out and punish his defensive options. His lackluster kill moves and sluggish ground speed can also make it difficult for him to finish stocks against evasive opponents. Let‘s break down the key components of Steven‘s kit and how to leverage them effectively:
Neutral Special: Bubble Boy!
Steven‘s neutral special encases him and his ally in protective bubbles that nullify projectiles and absorb up to 3 melee hits. The bubbles are an essential tool for safely approaching enemies and shutting down zoning attempts. Hold the button to inflate Steven‘s bubble to a massive size, then release to launch it forward as a slow-moving projectile that pops on impact for moderate damage.
Side Special: Shield Breaker Punch
This chargeable attack lunges Steven forward with a bubble-encased fist, dealing heavy shield damage and breaking armor. While unsafe on block at low charge levels, a fully-charged Shield Breaker will destroy any shield in a single hit and leave opponents vulnerable to follow-ups. Use it sparingly to punish overly defensive play or to extend combos on trapped enemies.
Up Special: Shield Platform
Steven summons a tall bubble shield that acts as a temporary platform, allowing him to mixup his movement and pressure with safe double jumps. The shield can block attacks from both sides, but will disappear after absorbing 3 hits. Quickly tapping the special button will create a shorter shield that can be used for tricky crossups and retreating aerials.
Down Special: Watermelon Steven
Steven leaps forward and grabs opponents with a bubble-shaped watermelon, driving them into the ground and bouncing them off the stage for a brutal spike finisher. If the grab misses, Steven will harmlessly plummet downward, making it a risky but powerful edgeguarding tool. The move can also be used as a sacrificial combo ender, allowing Steven to set up his ally for a guaranteed follow-up hit.
| Steven Universe Moves | Damage | Active Frames | Startup | Ending Lag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | Combo starter |
| Jab 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 14 | Can be held |
| Jab 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 20 | Launches foes |
| Neutral Air | 6 | 4 | 6 | 14 | Combos into itself |
| Forward Air | 9 | 5 | 13 | 18 | Horizontal knockback |
| Back Air | 11 | 6 | 14 | 20 | Strong KO move |
| Up Air | 7 | 8 | 9 | 28 | Large hitbox |
| Down Air | 5, 5 | 4,4 | 12 | 16 | Two hits, bounces foes |
Data sourced from MultiversusData.com
Steven‘s Combo Theory
At first glance, Steven might seem to lack the lengthy combo strings and flashy kill confirms of rushdown characters like Finn or Arya. However, with proper positioning and timing, Steven can rack up surprising damage and even secure elim‘s without spending meter. Let‘s break down some of his most reliable and damaging combos:
Universal Bread and Butter
Nair > Nair > Dair > Nair > Nair > Upair
This is Steven‘s go-to combo filler and a great way to rack up safe damage at any percent. Start with a short hop neutral air, which can link into itself multiple times thanks to its quick startup and forgiving hitbox. After the second or third nair, fast fall into a down air, using the initial hit to bounce the enemy up for an easy nair follow-up. Finish with a full hop up air or a special move to launch opponents off the top.
Bubble Edge Guard
Watermelon Steven > Ally Upair > Watermelon Steven
Steven‘s Watermelon command grab is a potent gimping tool that becomes even deadlier when combined with a coordinated teammate. Knock an enemy offstage with a strong hit, then chase them down and dunk them into the blastzone with Watermelon Steven. As they rebound from the spike, have an ally with a quick aerial like Jake or Batman follow up with an up air or a neutral air to drag them down and deny their recovery. If they manage to return to the ledge, repeat the Watermelon dunk for a flashy finish.
Bubble Infinite
Pop Bubble > Upair > Regrab Bubble > Upair > Regrab > Upair...
This devious team combo abuses the unique physics of Steven‘s bubble shield pops to trap opponents in a deadly loop of up airs. Have an ally with a fast up air like Arya or Harley stand inside one of Steven‘s static bubble shields. Wait for an enemy to run into the shield and pop it, causing them to fly straight up into the ally‘s up air. At low percentages, the up air will gently float them back onto the regrowing bubble, allowing the ally to regrab them over and over for a string of up air hits. While not a true infinite, this sequence deals immense mental damage and can easily tally up 100%+ if the enemy doesn‘t mash out.
Credit: @MultiversusUniversity on Twitter
Of course, these are just a few examples of Steven‘s combo potential. Experiment with his aerials, specials, and ally synergies to discover your own nasty sequences and deployable shield setups. And don‘t sleep on his grounded mixups either – with smart positioning and bubble management, Steven can lock down entire sections of the stage and suffocate enemies with tricky crossups and frame traps.
Steven‘s Place in the Meta
So where does Steven stand in the current MultiVersus competitive landscape? At the highest levels of play, Steven has seen niche usage as a support counterpick on stages with tight blastzones like Tree Fort and Scooby‘s Haunted Mansion. His stellar survivability and combo extension make him a popular pocket pick for aggressive bruiser mains looking to bolster their defensive utility.
As a support main, Steven is often compared to Reindog and Velma, two other characters that specialize in ally buffs and enemy debuffs. While Reindog boasts superior mobility and projectile control, and Velma has access to ranged heals and status effects, Steven‘s ability to completely nullify damage for both himself and his ally is unmatched. In a meta where rushdown fighters like Bugs Bunny and Finn dominate the top tiers, Steven‘s bubble shields can singlehandedly shut down entire gameplans and carry his team to victory.
That said, Steven is far from a flawless character. His limited kill power and slow attacks make him reliant on allies to secure elim‘s, and his shield-heavy playstyle can be predictable against experienced players. He also struggles in matchups against heavy zoners like Tom & Jerry who can bait out his shields and punish him from afar. With a relatively high skill floor and a gameplan that demands tight coordination with teammates, Steven is not a character for beginners or solo queue warriors.
"Steven is a tricky character to play optimally, but his ceiling is absurdly high in the right hands," says Lil1, a top 50 MultiVersus player and Steven main. "Landing even one clutch bubble in a team fight can snowball you to a quick 2 or 3 stock lead. But you have to fight for every inch of stage control and be willing to take risks offstage to gimp with Watermelon. It‘s a constant mental battle."
As MultiVersus enters its first official competitive season, it remains to be seen if Steven can cement himself as a permanent fixture in the 2v2 meta. Players are still discovering new applications for his shields and specials, from infinite combos to unstoppable edgeguarding sequences. And with the impending release of Rick Sanchez, another zany support character with off-the-wall abilities, Steven mains may soon have a new rival to contend with.
"I think Steven‘s long-term viability depends on how the MultiVersus meta evolves," explains Mew2Queen, a Steven Universe player who has dominated the online ladder with over 1500 team wins. "If the devs release more characters with armor break moves or nerf the hitbox collision on his bubbles, it could severely limit his potential. But for now, I‘m having a blast catching people off guard with crazy shield pressure and cutesy watermelon dunks. It‘s just such a fun and unique playstyle."
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Steven Universe is a character that rewards creativity, communication, and a willingness to experiment with unorthodox tactics. His bubble-centric moveset and support abilities set him apart from the rest of the MultiVersus cast, offering a wholly unique approach to both neutral and combo gameplay. While he may not be the easiest character to pick up and master, the satisfaction of clutching out a match with a pixel-perfect bubble or a deep offstage Watermelon spike is well worth the effort.
Whether you‘re a Steven Universe fan looking to rep your favorite cartoon hero or a competitive player searching for a new support main to round out your team composition, Steven is a character that rewards lab time and creative problem solving. So jump into the training room, queue up some chill lo-fi beats, and start labbing out those bubble infinites. With a little patience and a lot of heart, you too can become the ultimate Steven Universe in MultiVersus.
