Warner Bros. Cancels ‘Wonder Woman’ Game and Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. Discovery is making significant reductions in its gaming division to try and improve its performance. Recently, the company announced that it would no longer be developing a “Wonder Woman” video game that had been in the works for over three years. This game was being created by Monolith Productions, which is also shutting down as part of these cutbacks, along with two other studios: Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego.

Warner Bros. had acquired Player First Games in July 2024; the studio was known for its multiplayer fighting game “MultiVersus,” which they have also decided to discontinue. A spokesperson from Warner Bros. Games stated that, despite the challenges they face today, the company is committed to producing high-quality games for their dedicated players. They aim to return to profitability and growth by 2025 and beyond.

The “Wonder Woman” game was first announced in December 2021 and was meant to be an open-world, single-player action game. It promised to offer players an original story based in the DC Universe, allowing them to take on the role of Diana from Themyscira as she worked to unite her Amazon family with humans in the modern world. However, a representative from WB Games confirmed that the development of this game would no longer proceed, stating that the goal was always to provide a top-notch experience for fans of the character. Unfortunately, they found that this was no longer feasible given their current strategic goals.

In their statement issued, the Warner Bros. Games representative mentioned that making these decisions was incredibly tough. They explained that the restructuring was necessary to focus on creating the best games possible centered around their major franchises, which include Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. They emphasized that this shift in strategy is not a reflection of the talent within these teams but rather a business decision. News of the studio closures was initially reported by Bloomberg.

Additionally, David Haddad, the leader of Warner Bros. Games for the past 12 years, is leaving the company, which adds to the significant changes occurring within the division.

2024 has been a difficult year for Warner Bros. Games, especially with the mixed reviews and performance of “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” compared to the outstanding success of “Hogwarts Legacy,” which launched in 2023. Both the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, and CFO, Gunnar Wiedenfels, have expressed that the company’s strategy is shifting away from traditional AAA games towards more continuous, live-service titles and mobile games.

For the third quarter of 2024, Wiedenfels noted that Warner Bros. Discovery has had to take another charge exceeding $100 million due to underperforming game releases. This brings their total losses in the gaming sector to over $300 million for the year, highlighting the struggle they face in adjusting their gaming strategy. Overall, Warner Bros. Discovery is undergoing significant changes in its gaming division, focusing on future profitability while letting go of projects and studios that no longer align with their vision.