Warner Bros. Games stänger av tre studior, avbryter Wonder Woman-spelet

Warner Bros. Games is undergoing a major shakeup, closing Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. As part of these changes, the highly anticipated Wonder Woman game has been officially canceled.

Monolith Productions, best known for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, is one of the three studios shutting down. Founded in 1994 and acquired by Warner Bros. in 2004, the studio also developed the F.E.A.R. and Condemned franchises.

Player First Games, the team behind MultiVersus, is also closing. Warner Bros. acquired the studio in 2024, but with MultiVersus set to shut down in May, the studio’s closure follows soon after.

WB San Diego, a relatively new studio focused on AAA free-to-play games, is the third studio affected by these closures.

Warner Bros. Games' Official Statement

Warner Bros. Games confirmed the decision after Bloomberg's Jason Schreier broke the news.

We made the very difficult decision to restructure our development teams, resulting in these studio closures," the company stated. "This is a strategic change and has nothing to do with the talented individuals working at these studios.

Warner Bros. Games will now focus on four key franchises: Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones.

The Cancellation of Wonder Woman

The cancellation of Wonder Woman comes as a surprise, given its potential as a major DC title. Warner Bros. explained the decision:

We wanted to deliver the highest quality game possible, but unfortunately, this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities.

This is another tough decision, as we recognize Monolith's storied history of delivering epic fan experiences through amazing games.

Leadership Response & Future Plans

Warner Bros. Discovery gaming boss JB Perrette addressed employees in a memo obtained by Polygon.

Some staff who were not laid off will be reassigned to other internal roles where possible.

We will also expand into mobile gaming and aim to regain our credibility and swagger at producing great games.

Reflecting on Warner Bros. Games’ recent struggles, Perrette admitted:

The product-market fit and quality of too many of our new releases has really missed the mark.

We need to and will do better for our fans first and foremost, and also because regaining that credibility is critical to us securing even more investment in games in the years to come.

Warner Bros. Games' Struggles

Reports suggest the Wonder Woman project had already cost over $100 million and was far from completion. This follows a trend of high-budget struggles for Warner Bros. Games:

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League flopped despite a $200 million budget.

Gotham Knights underperformed in sales.

MultiVersus is shutting down just two years after launch.

What’s Next for Warner Bros. Games?

With the focus now shifting to its four major franchises, Warner Bros. is moving forward with several new projects:

A sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is in development.

Warner Bros. Montreal is reportedly pitching a Game of Thrones game.

Rocksteady may return to a single-player Batman title.

As for the future of DC games, studio head James Gunn has hinted at upcoming projects but noted that they are not coming anytime soon.

Leadership Transition

David Haddad, longtime president of Warner Bros. Games, announced his departure in January. He will remain for three months to assist in the leadership transition, but no successor has been named yet.

With Warner Bros. shifting its focus and cutting down on underperforming titles, the gaming division’s future remains uncertain. Will these changes bring the company back to its former glory, or is this just the start of more drastic measures?