What movements we have in Warner Bros. Games. And the distributor has made the drastic decision to cancel the development of the Wonder Woman video game, a project that had been announced in 2021 and was in the hands of the Monolith Productions studio. Along with this cancellation, the firm has also confirmed the closure of three studios: the aforementioned Monolith Productions, Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San DiegoThis news undoubtedly comes at a significant time for Warner's video game division, after a series of commercial failures that only indicate that it is not going through its best period.
Studio closures and the cancellation of Wonder Woman
According to information published by Bloomberg and later confirmed by Warner Bros. Games in an official statement, the company has opted to reduce its internal structure due to the poor results obtained in recent years. The cancellation of the game Wonder Woman -whose teaser you have below these lines- and the closure of these studios are part of a restructuring with which They intend to focus their resources on more profitable franchises.
The Californian company's official statement reads as follows:
We have made difficult decisions to adjust our development studios and focus on creating the best games possible with our core franchises. As part of this process, we have decided to close Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. Sadly, this also means the cancellation of the Wonder Woman video game as we have decided to prioritize other strategic projects.
The reasons behind the restructuring
The closure of these studios and the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game come after a series of business failures that have severely affected Warner Bros. Games. Among them, the poor performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. This game, which had a problematic development and cost nearly 200 million, did not meet commercial expectations, leaving a huge financial hole.
Another failed project has been Multi Versus, which, although initially received positively, ended up losing a large part of its player base and closing its servers. Now, with the dissolution of Player First Games, the studio behind this game, it is clear that Warner has decided to abandon this proposition as a service.
The fate of Monolith Productions and the other studios
Monolith Productions, the studio responsible for titles such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel shadows of war, was wearing years developing the video game de Wonder WomanHowever, the project suffered multiple delays and was reportedly restarted several times. Despite having the system Nemesis, patented by Warner and used in the games of Middle earth, ultimately the development could not go ahead.
On the other hand, Player First Games, the studio in charge of developing Multi Versus, has also been closed. This fighting game inspired by Super Smash Bros. It failed to maintain its initial success and, upon its re-release, failed to meet Warner Bros. Games' expectations.
Finally, Warner Bros. Games San Diego, a study with a focus on mobile games y free-to-play, will also disappear, as we have indicated, as part of this major restructuring.
The future of Warner Bros. Games
With this change of direction, the company has made it clear that its new focus will focus on established franchises and AAA titles that guarantee sustainable revenue. Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Game of Thrones will be the pillars on which Warner Bros. Games will build its future.
It is rumored that Rocksteady Studios, the creators of the saga Batman Arkham, could already be working on a new game based on the Dark Knight universe. On the other hand, the Avalanche Software studio, responsible for Hogwarts legacy, could be developing an expansion or a sequel to this successful title.
The cancellation of the video game Wonder Woman and the closure of three studios certainly marks a turning point for Warner Bros. Games. Hopefully their new approach will ensure that profitability and stability Unfortunately, along the way, the jobs of a good number of affected workers and the hopes of fans of the closed studios have been lost.