Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game, Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. Games is shutting down 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 news follows a statement from WB confirming the closures, citing a strategic shift to focus development on key franchises like Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. The statement emphasized that this decision isn't a reflection on the talent within the affected studios.

The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, in development at Monolith Productions, is attributed to the strategic shift, despite acknowledging Monolith's history of creating successful games and the potential for a high-quality Wonder Woman experience. This follows earlier reports indicating challenges for the Wonder Woman project, including reboots and director changes in early 2024. These difficulties occurred amidst broader struggles within WB Games, including 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 of the division further contextualize these developments.

This move significantly impacts WB's 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 closures represent a significant loss for the industry, affecting three studios with notable histories. Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by WB in 2004, is renowned for its Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games, which introduced the acclaimed Nemesis system (patented by WB in 2021). Player First Games, established in 2019, developed MultiVersus, a critically well-received game that, despite initial success, didn't meet WB's expectations. WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile, free-to-play games.

These shutdowns are part of a larger trend in the games industry, marked by increasing layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures over the past three years. While 2023 and 2024 saw significant job losses (estimated at over 10,000 and 14,000 respectively), the exact figures for 2025 are less clear due to reduced reporting of layoffs and closures.