Warner Bros. Games is closing three studios—Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB Games San Diego—and canceling its planned Wonder Woman game, according to a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. This strategic decision, confirmed by Warner Bros. in a statement to Kotaku, focuses development on key franchises like Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. The statement emphasizes that this restructuring isn't a reflection on the talent within the affected studios, but a necessary shift to prioritize high-quality game production. The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, despite Monolith's storied history creating acclaimed titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, reflects this new strategic direction.
Earlier reports hinted at trouble for the Wonder Woman game, citing reboots and director changes in early 2024. This news follows broader challenges within Warner Bros. Games, including layoffs at Rocksteady, the mixed reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the shutdown of MultiVersus. The recent departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors of a potential sale further underscore the division's restructuring.
This closure significantly impacts WB's DC universe gaming ambitions, especially considering James Gunn and Peter Safran's recent announcement that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away. The loss of Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by WB in 2004, represents a significant blow to the industry. Monolith is renowned for its innovative Nemesis system, successfully patented by WB in 2021. Player First Games, established in 2019 and responsible for MultiVersus, and WB San Diego, also founded in 2019 and focused on mobile free-to-play games, are also affected.
These shutdowns are part of a larger trend in the games industry. The past three years have seen a surge in layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures. While precise figures for 2025 are less readily available, the pattern of significant job losses continues from the over 10,000 in 2023 and over 14,000 in 2024.