MultiVersus just got a big new patch, bringing back Ranked Mode permanently, a Valentine's Day-themed event, and a whole lot more. However, with each big patch comes yet another datamine, and more evidence is stacking up for the imminent releases of both The Joker and Pickle Rick. To start with, Pickle Rick looks like he'll be a seperate fighter after all, as descriptions of his moveset were found in the game's files.
This info was found by reliable MultiVersus dataminer Laisul, who posted the descriptions to their Twitter account. From what we can gather, Pickle Rick's moveset is fairly similar to to that of the original character's, alebit with a few tweaks and new gimmicks. For example, Pickle Rick will still have his rocket boots and jetpack, as well as laser that travels further depending on how long you charge it for. Instead of summoning a Mr. Meeseeks to help him float and fight, Pickle Rick will summon cockroaches instead.
One of the biggest changes from the original Rick seems to be his air side special, which will have Pickle Rick "swing forward from a rope" and do a slide kick if he hits the ground. It sounds like a replacement for the original Rick's portal gun, and could possibly mean that Pickle Rick was the character MultiVersus director Tony Huynh was referencing when he teased Player First was working on someone with a grappling hook.
As for The Joker, more evidence has been found that suggests he'll be the next character to join the roster, as his Character Select code was added in the game's latest update. A bunch of new sound effects for The Joker were also added, with a couple of the files labelled as "pogo" and "crowbar", giving us a small hint about his moveset as well.
Both Pickle Rick and The Joker seem fairly close to releasing, although whether they'll release this season or during Season 3 is unknown. It's also possible both could launch at the same time, given that Pickle Rick seems to be more of an echo fighter than a new character entirely. It won't be long before we find out though.