Warner Bros. Games is undergoing a period of turbulence, with recent financial losses, leadership changes, and game cancellations raising concerns about the company’s long-term strategy. Following the exit of WB Games President David Haddad, a new report sheds light on the state of the company’s development pipeline, revealing both setbacks and potential future projects.
A Year of Costly Failures
The past year has been a difficult one for Warner Bros. Games, marked by the disastrous launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the underwhelming performance of MultiVersus. The financial fallout has been severe—Suicide Squad alone contributed to a $200 million loss for Warner Bros. Discovery, while MultiVersus added another $100 million in damages.
Compounding the situation, Suicide Squad’s post-launch content has effectively come to an end with the delivery of its Year One roadmap, and MultiVersus is set to be shut down entirely. Meanwhile, Rocksteady, once a cornerstone studio for the company, has suffered significant layoffs.
Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the underperformance of the gaming division during a recent financial call, stating, “We recognize [the games business] is substantially underperforming its potential right now.”
Warner Bros. Refocuses on Core Franchises
In response to these struggles, Warner Bros. is shifting its focus to a smaller slate of established franchises. According to Zaslav, the company is doubling down on four key properties:
• Hogwarts Legacy (a sequel is already in development)
• Mortal Kombat
• Game of Thrones
• DC, with a particular focus on Batman
Zaslav emphasized that the company will work with “proven studios” to improve its success rate. However, many of these projects remain years away from release, and some are reportedly facing difficulties.
A Troubled Development Pipeline
Among the most concerning reports is the state of Monolith Productions’ Wonder Woman game, which has already cost more than $100 million and is still in early development. The project reportedly underwent a reboot last year, including a director change, and has shifted away from its planned Nemesis system (the gameplay innovation from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor). Instead, it is now being developed as a more traditional action-adventure title, though its fate remains uncertain.
WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Gotham Knights, has also struggled to secure new projects. A John Constantine game was pitched but never approved, and a planned Flash game was scrapped following the poor performance of the DCU Flash movie. The studio is now assisting other teams and working on a pitch for a Game of Thrones title.
Meanwhile, Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software is actively working on both new content for the current game and a full-fledged sequel.
Rocksteady’s Return to Batman?
For fans of Rocksteady, the studio behind the Batman: Arkham series, there is some good news—Bloomberg reports that the developer is looking to return to the Batman franchise with a new single-player game. However, the project is still in the early stages and is likely years away from release.
There is currently no word on what NetherRealm Studios, the team behind Mortal Kombat, is working on beyond its ongoing DLC for Mortal Kombat 1. The game has reportedly sold over five million copies, but questions remain about its long-term financial success.
What’s Next for Warner Bros. Games?
According to Bloomberg, Warner Bros. Games’ short-term lineup consists of a refreshed version of Hogwarts Legacy, a new Lego game, and a handful of mobile titles. Beyond that, the company is banking on its four core franchises to carry its gaming division forward.
While WB Games is home to some of the most recognizable IPs in entertainment, recent missteps and internal turmoil have put the company’s future in a precarious position. Whether the new strategic focus will pay off remains to be seen, but for now, many of its biggest projects are still far from release.