Following up on our previous article about WB Games shutting down Monolith Productions, Warner Bros. Discovery has officially confirmed the closure of three game studios and the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game.
The affected studios are:
- Monolith Productions (Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of War)
- Player First Games (MultiVersus)
- WB Games San Diego (mobile and online games)
WB. Games’ Official Statement on Studio Closures
The news, originally reported by Bloomberg, was later confirmed by Warner Bros. Games in a statement to Kotaku via email:
“We have had to make some very difficult decisions to structure our development studios and investments around building the best games possible with our key franchises — Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. After careful consideration, we are closing three of our development studios – Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them.
The development of Monolith’s Wonder Woman video game will not move forward. Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible for the iconic character, and 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.
We greatly admire the passion of the three teams and thank every employee for their contributions. As difficult as today is, we remain focused on and excited about getting back to producing high-quality games for our passionate fans and developed by our world-class studios, and getting our Games business back to profitability and growth in 2025 and beyond.”
Why is WB. Games Making These Cuts?
WB Games is shifting its focus to its most profitable franchises, including:
- Harry Potter (Hogwarts Legacy success)
- Mortal Kombat
- DC Universe (mainly Batman-related titles)
- Game of Thrones
Impact on Player First Games and WB. Games San Diego
- Player First Games, the team behind MultiVersus, is shutting down despite the game’s popularity.
- WB Games San Diego, which worked on mobile and online projects, is also affected.
Despite these closures, WB. Games reassures fans that they remain committed to producing high-quality games and expect to regain momentum by 2025.
For more details on Monolith Productions’ closure, check out our previous report.