Warner Bros Games Cancels Wonder Woman Game and Closes Three Studios

Image credits: Monolith Productions/Warner Bros. Games

Warner Bros Games has announced the cancellation of its planned Wonder Woman game and the closure of three studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. This move is part of a larger restructuring effort by the company to focus on its key franchises, including Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. The decision to cancel the Wonder Woman game and close the studios was made due to a strategic change in direction and financial difficulties, with the company citing a "disappointing 2024" for its games division.

The closure of Monolith Productions, which was working on the Wonder Woman game, is a significant blow to the games industry. The studio was founded in 1994 and was acquired by Warner Bros in 2004. It is best known for its work on the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games, which pioneered the Nemesis system for evolving relationships with NPCs. Player First Games, which was responsible for the recently scrapped fighting game MultiVersus, and WB San Diego, which was working on an unannounced "AAA, free-to-play, cross-platform game," will also be closed as part of the restructuring effort.

The news of the studio closures and game cancellation has sent shockwaves through the games industry, with many expressing disappointment and sadness at the loss of talented developers and the cancellation of highly anticipated games. The move is part of a larger trend of increasing games industry layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures, with over 10,000 game developers laid off in 2023 and over 14,000 in 2024. The exact number of impacted individuals in 2025 is unclear due to fewer companies reporting layoffs and shutdowns, but it is clear that the industry is undergoing significant changes.

Warner Bros Games has stated that it will focus on its key franchises going forward, with a emphasis on producing high-quality games and regaining its credibility and swagger in the industry. The company has also announced plans to return to growing its mobile games revenue and to regain its financial credibility. The closure of the studios and the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game are seen as a strategic move to achieve these goals, with the company citing the need to "get back to producing high-quality games for our passionate fans" and to "regain our credibility and swagger at producing great games."

The following are some key points related to the closure of the studios and the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game: * The closure of Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego studios * The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game * The focus on key franchises, including Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones * The emphasis on producing high-quality games and regaining credibility and swagger in the industry * The plans to return to growing mobile games revenue and to regain financial credibility * The impact on the games industry, including the loss of talented developers and the cancellation of highly anticipated games.