Warner Bros. has been strategically shutting down its gaming unit, starting with Monolith Productions, the studio developing the Wonder Woman game. As of now, the game has been canned, and the studio is closed.
The reason for such a big decision is the ripple effect of 2024’s Suicide Squad’s failure in the market. It incurred approximately 200 million dollars in losses, and Warner Bros. was compelled to make serious changes if it were to avert such disasters in the future.
Warner Bros. Games is disintegrating
Warner Bros. seems to be moving in a different direction. A direction away from gaming, especially after some of its recently released games failed to generate an audience.
Following the closure of Monolith Productions, it has also shut down Player First Games and WB San Diego. Things do not seem too bright at the moment for games from the DC universe, and definitely not for James Gunn as he had a vision for both films and games.
He had big plans for creating an interconnected DC universe across TV, films, and games. He wanted to expand on the stories with consistent characters and cast to offer a seamless experience across platforms. Unlike previous games from the DC universe, these titles were supposed to be more connected with the films and TV shows. However, due to the recent development in the gaming unit of Warner Bros., his plans are currently sinking.
Warner Bros. explained its stance on why these drastic measures were taken in the first place via an email to Kotaku. It read:
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.
It is being called a strategic decision that does not reflect badly on the credibility of the studios being closed in any way. The future for games from the DC universe looks dim at the moment.
The studio’s gaming unit is currently in shambles. There is no direction, no plan, and no clarity as to what will happen in the future. This aimlessness could have had a huge role to play in the decision to shut this unit down for a bit, take a step back, and rethink.
Suicide Squad’s failure impacted Warner Bros. in a negative way
Suicide Squad’s success was crucial for Warner Bros. Games since it would have given the studio a place to build from. However, its failure came as a major blow which did not help the developer’s case in any way.
Following Suicide Squad even the other multiplayer games including Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions failed to do well in the market. The studio needs to reevaluate all of its decisions and take the next few steps carefully.
These recent developments might not align well with Gunn’s plan of developing a DC game like Marvel Rivals. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below.
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