Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game, Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. Games is closing three studios—Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego—and canceling its planned Wonder Woman game, according to a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. This strategic shift, confirmed by WB Games 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 decision isn't a reflection on the talent within these studios but rather a necessary restructuring to prioritize high-quality game development. The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, in development at Monolith Productions, is attributed to the strategic shift, despite the studio's history of creating successful titles like the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series, known for its innovative Nemesis system. WB Games expressed gratitude for the teams' contributions. The company aims to return to profitability and growth by 2025.

This news follows earlier reports of challenges within WB Games' gaming division, including the troubled development of the Wonder Woman game, layoffs at Rocksteady, the mixed reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the closure of MultiVersus. The recent departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors of a potential sale further highlight the restructuring underway.

The closure represents a significant setback for WB Games' DC universe gaming efforts, especially considering James Gunn and Peter Safran's recent announcement that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away.

The closure impacts three established studios. Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by WB in 2004, is renowned for its work on the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor games. Player First Games, established in 2019, developed MultiVersus, while WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile, free-to-play games.

These closures underscore a broader trend in the games industry of layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures. While the exact numbers for 2025 are less clear due to reduced reporting, the industry saw significant job losses in 2023 and 2024, with over 10,000 and 14,000 layoffs respectively.