Warner Bros. has made the difficult decision to cancel its planned Wonder Woman game and shut down three of its development studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. This news was first reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on Bluesky and later confirmed in a statement to Kotaku.
In the statement, Warner Bros. explained that the closures are part of a strategic shift to focus on developing high-quality games centered around their key franchises, including Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. The company emphasized that these decisions were not a reflection of the talent within the affected studios but a necessary step to align with their new priorities.
The Wonder Woman game, which was being developed by Monolith Productions, will not move forward. Warner Bros. expressed their regret, noting their desire to deliver a top-quality experience for the iconic character but acknowledged that it no longer fits within their strategic direction. They praised Monolith's history of creating epic fan experiences, particularly with the acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Shadow of War, which introduced the innovative Nemesis system.
Player First Games, known for MultiVersus, and WB San Diego, which focused on mobile and free-to-play games, were also part of the closures. These moves come amidst broader challenges within Warner Bros.' gaming division, including earlier reports of struggles with the Wonder Woman project, layoffs at Rocksteady, and the underwhelming reception to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
The closure of these studios is part of a larger trend of layoffs and project cancellations in the games industry, which saw over 10,000 developers laid off in 2023, rising to over 14,000 in 2024. While specific numbers for 2025 are less clear, the impact of these closures continues to be felt across the industry.
Additionally, Warner Bros. is undergoing a significant restructuring, highlighted by the departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors of potential divestiture of the gaming division. This comes at a time when James Gunn and Peter Safran announced that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away, further complicating the company's efforts in the gaming space.
The loss of these studios marks a significant blow to Warner Bros.' plans for DC universe-connected gaming and the broader games industry, which loses three storied developers in this latest round of closures.
