diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/MultiRule.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/MultiRule.kt
index a9034a82b7a..8e9a3a46e0f 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/MultiRule.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/MultiRule.kt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtFile
  * Can be used to combine different rules which do similar work like
  * scanning the source code line by line to increase performance.
  */
+@Deprecated("multi rules are much more difficult to maintain and support will be removed in the future")
 abstract class MultiRule : BaseRule() {
 
     abstract val rules: List<Rule>
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Analyzer.kt b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Analyzer.kt
index b5de3d7b35e..00bb5a66d6f 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Analyzer.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Analyzer.kt
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.BaseRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.FileProcessListener
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Finding
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetId
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
@@ -95,9 +94,10 @@ internal class Analyzer(
         bindingContext: BindingContext,
         compilerResources: CompilerResources
     ): Map<RuleSetId, List<Finding>> {
+        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
         fun isCorrectable(rule: BaseRule): Boolean = when (rule) {
             is Rule -> rule.autoCorrect
-            is MultiRule -> rule.rules.any { it.autoCorrect }
+            is io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule -> rule.rules.any { it.autoCorrect }
             else -> error("No other rule type expected.")
         }
 
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/RuleSets.kt b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/RuleSets.kt
index 01471f93be1..5f15b05d304 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/RuleSets.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/RuleSets.kt
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import io.github.detekt.tooling.api.spec.RulesSpec
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.BaseRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Finding
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleId
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
@@ -35,7 +34,8 @@ fun RuleSet.visitFile(
 
 fun associateRuleIdsToRuleSetIds(ruleSets: Sequence<RuleSet>): Map<RuleId, RuleSetId> {
     fun extractIds(rule: BaseRule) =
-        if (rule is MultiRule) {
+        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+        if (rule is io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule) {
             rule.rules.asSequence().map(Rule::ruleId)
         } else {
             sequenceOf(rule.ruleId)
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/Suppressor.kt b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/Suppressor.kt
index 08aa49696da..de90162281c 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/Suppressor.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/Suppressor.kt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.core.suppressors
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.BaseRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.ConfigAware
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Finding
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.BindingContext
 
@@ -22,8 +21,9 @@ private fun buildSuppressors(rule: ConfigAware, bindingContext: BindingContext):
 }
 
 internal fun getSuppressors(rule: BaseRule, bindingContext: BindingContext): List<Suppressor> {
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
     return when (rule) {
-        is MultiRule -> rule.rules.flatMap { innerRule ->
+        is io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule -> rule.rules.flatMap { innerRule ->
             buildSuppressors(innerRule, bindingContext).map { suppressor -> InnerSuppressor(innerRule, suppressor) }
         }
         is ConfigAware -> buildSuppressors(rule, bindingContext)
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/SuppressionSpec.kt b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/SuppressionSpec.kt
index 577d73740df..56ff05e4fb7 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/SuppressionSpec.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/SuppressionSpec.kt
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Debt
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Entity
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Issue
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Location
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Severity
@@ -283,6 +282,7 @@ class SuppressionSpec {
         @Nested
         inner class `MultiRule` {
 
+            @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
             private lateinit var subject: io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 
             @BeforeEach
@@ -320,7 +320,9 @@ private fun isSuppressedBy(annotation: String, argument: String): Boolean {
     return annotatedClass.isSuppressedBy("Test", setOf("alias"))
 }
 
-private class AMultiRule(config: Config) : MultiRule() {
+private class AMultiRule(config: Config) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
     override val rules: List<Rule> = listOf(TestLPL(config))
 }
 
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/MultiRuleSpec.kt b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/MultiRuleSpec.kt
index 978cd9245ea..1af6399e837 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/MultiRuleSpec.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/rules/MultiRuleSpec.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Debt
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Entity
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Issue
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
@@ -70,7 +69,9 @@ private class MultiRuleProvider : RuleSetProvider {
     override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet = RuleSet(ruleSetId, listOf(TestMultiRule(config)))
 }
 
-private class TestMultiRule(config: Config) : MultiRule() {
+private class TestMultiRule(config: Config) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
 
     private val one = TestRuleOne(config)
     private val two = TestRuleTwo(config)
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/SuppressorsSpec.kt b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/SuppressorsSpec.kt
index c7a4cf1a956..05522c39d3f 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/SuppressorsSpec.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/suppressors/SuppressorsSpec.kt
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Debt
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Entity
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Issue
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Severity
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.test.TestConfig
@@ -79,7 +78,9 @@ class SuppressorsSpec {
     }
 }
 
-private class AMultiRule(config: Config) : MultiRule() {
+private class AMultiRule(config: Config) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
     override val rules: List<Rule> = listOf(ARule(config))
 }
 
diff --git a/detekt-formatting/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/formatting/KtLintMultiRule.kt b/detekt-formatting/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/formatting/KtLintMultiRule.kt
index 0fa570cc4d3..c9dbcaebd32 100644
--- a/detekt-formatting/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/formatting/KtLintMultiRule.kt
+++ b/detekt-formatting/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/formatting/KtLintMultiRule.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.formatting
 
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.formatting.wrappers.AnnotationOnSeparateLine
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.formatting.wrappers.AnnotationSpacing
@@ -65,7 +64,9 @@ import java.util.LinkedList
 /**
  * Runs all KtLint rules.
  */
-class KtLintMultiRule(config: Config = Config.empty) : MultiRule() {
+class KtLintMultiRule(config: Config = Config.empty) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
 
     override val rules: List<Rule> = listOf(
         // Wrappers for ktlint-ruleset-standard rules. Enabled by default.
diff --git a/detekt-generator/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/generator/collection/MultiRuleCollector.kt b/detekt-generator/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/generator/collection/MultiRuleCollector.kt
index 6c7c4d9e6d0..8eecd0ee88f 100644
--- a/detekt-generator/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/generator/collection/MultiRuleCollector.kt
+++ b/detekt-generator/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/generator/collection/MultiRuleCollector.kt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ data class MultiRule(
     operator fun contains(ruleName: String) = ruleName in this.rules
 }
 
+@Suppress("DEPRECATION")
 private val multiRule = io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule::class.simpleName.orEmpty()
 
 class MultiRuleCollector : Collector<MultiRule> {
diff --git a/detekt-report-sarif/src/main/kotlin/io/github/detekt/report/sarif/RuleDescriptors.kt b/detekt-report-sarif/src/main/kotlin/io/github/detekt/report/sarif/RuleDescriptors.kt
index 8cb40605522..05fb037f8a4 100644
--- a/detekt-report-sarif/src/main/kotlin/io/github/detekt/report/sarif/RuleDescriptors.kt
+++ b/detekt-report-sarif/src/main/kotlin/io/github/detekt/report/sarif/RuleDescriptors.kt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package io.github.detekt.report.sarif
 import io.github.detekt.sarif4k.MultiformatMessageString
 import io.github.detekt.sarif4k.ReportingDescriptor
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetId
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
@@ -24,15 +23,21 @@ internal fun toReportingDescriptors(config: Config): List<ReportingDescriptor> {
     }
     val descriptors = mutableListOf<ReportingDescriptor>()
     ruleSetIdAndRules.forEach { (ruleSetId, rule) ->
+        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
         when (rule) {
-            is MultiRule -> descriptors.addAll(rule.toDescriptors(ruleSetId))
+            is io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule -> descriptors.addAll(
+                rule.toDescriptors(
+                    ruleSetId
+                )
+            )
             is Rule -> descriptors.add(rule.toDescriptor(ruleSetId))
         }
     }
     return descriptors
 }
 
-private fun MultiRule.toDescriptors(ruleSetId: RuleSetId): List<ReportingDescriptor> =
+@Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+private fun io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule.toDescriptors(ruleSetId: RuleSetId): List<ReportingDescriptor> =
     this.rules.map { it.toDescriptor(ruleSetId) }
 
 private fun Rule.toDescriptor(ruleSetId: RuleSetId): ReportingDescriptor {
diff --git a/detekt-rules-documentation/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/documentation/KDocStyle.kt b/detekt-rules-documentation/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/documentation/KDocStyle.kt
index 84d4b7c3233..81d32f57d09 100644
--- a/detekt-rules-documentation/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/documentation/KDocStyle.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules-documentation/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/documentation/KDocStyle.kt
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.documentation
 
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtDeclaration
 
-class KDocStyle(config: Config = Config.empty) : MultiRule() {
+class KDocStyle(config: Config = Config.empty) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
 
     private val deprecatedBlockTag = DeprecatedBlockTag(config)
     private val endOfSentenceFormat = EndOfSentenceFormat(config)
diff --git a/detekt-rules-empty/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/empty/EmptyBlocks.kt b/detekt-rules-empty/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/empty/EmptyBlocks.kt
index 626807bb9f4..76eff32f101 100644
--- a/detekt-rules-empty/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/empty/EmptyBlocks.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules-empty/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/empty/EmptyBlocks.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.empty
 
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.internal.ActiveByDefault
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtCatchClause
@@ -29,7 +28,9 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtWhileExpression
  */
 @Suppress("TooManyFunctions")
 @ActiveByDefault(since = "1.0.0")
-class EmptyBlocks(val config: Config = Config.empty) : MultiRule() {
+class EmptyBlocks(val config: Config = Config.empty) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
 
     private val emptyCatchBlock = EmptyCatchBlock(config)
     private val emptyClassBlock = EmptyClassBlock(config)
diff --git a/detekt-rules-naming/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/naming/NamingRules.kt b/detekt-rules-naming/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/naming/NamingRules.kt
index 8d731d81dba..cc675cb5260 100644
--- a/detekt-rules-naming/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/naming/NamingRules.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules-naming/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/naming/NamingRules.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.naming
 
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtClassOrObject
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtConstructor
@@ -16,7 +15,9 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtProperty
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtVariableDeclaration
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.psiUtil.getNonStrictParentOfType
 
-class NamingRules(config: Config = Config.empty) : MultiRule() {
+class NamingRules(config: Config = Config.empty) :
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule() {
 
     private val variableNamingRule = VariableNaming(config)
     private val variableMinNameLengthRule = VariableMinLength(config)
diff --git a/detekt-rules/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/RuleProviderSpec.kt b/detekt-rules/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/RuleProviderSpec.kt
index 51ee19e6bb5..519919f77d9 100644
--- a/detekt-rules/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/RuleProviderSpec.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/RuleProviderSpec.kt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules
 
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.BaseRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
-import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Rule
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.internal.DefaultRuleSetProvider
@@ -63,7 +62,9 @@ private fun getRulesPackageNameForProvider(providerType: Class<out RuleSetProvid
 
 private fun getRules(provider: RuleSetProvider): List<BaseRule> {
     val ruleSet = provider.instance(Config.empty)
-    val rules = ruleSet.rules.flatMap { (it as? MultiRule)?.rules ?: listOf(it) }
+
+    @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+    val rules = ruleSet.rules.flatMap { (it as? io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.MultiRule)?.rules ?: listOf(it) }
     assertThat(rules).isNotEmpty
     return rules
 }