Warner Bros. has announced the cancellation of its anticipated Wonder Woman game and the closure of three of its studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. This news was first reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on Bluesky and later detailed in a full report on Bloomberg. Warner Bros. confirmed these developments to Kotaku, explaining the decision in a statement.
The company stated, "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."
Regarding the Wonder Woman game, WB noted, "The development of Monolith’s Wonder Woman videogame 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."
This decision comes amidst ongoing challenges within Warner Bros.' gaming division. Earlier reports indicated that the Wonder Woman game faced development issues after a reboot and change in directors in early 2024. The division has also experienced layoffs at Rocksteady, a tepid response to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the closure of MultiVersus. Additionally, the departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors of a potential sale of the division have contributed to a period of restructuring.
The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game is particularly significant for Warner Bros.' efforts to expand its DC universe in gaming. Just yesterday, DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran announced that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away.
The closure of these studios marks a significant loss for the gaming industry. Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by Warner Bros. in 2004, is renowned for the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series and its innovative Nemesis system, patented by Warner Bros. in 2021. Player First Games, established in 2019, developed MultiVersus, which, despite critical acclaim and a successful launch, did not meet Warner Bros.' expectations. WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile and free-to-play games.
These closures are part of a broader trend of increasing layoffs, project cancellations, and studio shutdowns in the gaming industry. In 2023, over 10,000 game developers were laid off, with the number rising to over 14,000 in 2024. While 2025 has seen numerous closures, the exact impact on individuals remains unclear due to limited reporting on these events.
