Warner Bros. Axes Wonder Woman Game, Shuts Down Three Studios

Warner Bros. has made the tough decision to cancel its anticipated Wonder Woman game and close 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 confirmed in a detailed report on Bloomberg. Following Schreier's announcement, Warner Bros. issued a statement to Kotaku, explaining the reasoning behind these closures:

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.

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.

The decision to cancel the Wonder Woman game comes after earlier reports this year from Bloomberg, which hinted at the project's troubles following a reboot and a change in directors in early 2024. This move is part of broader challenges faced by Warner Bros.' gaming division, including layoffs at Rocksteady, a tepid response to "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," and the shutdown of "MultiVersus."

Recent developments suggest a significant restructuring within WB Games, highlighted by the departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors that the gaming division might be sold off. This strategic shift particularly impacts WB's efforts to build a connected DC universe through gaming, as evidenced by James Gunn and Peter Safran's recent statement 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 WB in 2004, is renowned for its work on "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" and its sequel "Shadow of War," which introduced the innovative Nemesis system, patented by WB in 2021. Player First Games, established in 2019, developed "MultiVersus," which, despite critical acclaim and a successful launch, did not meet WB's expectations. WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile and free-to-play games.

These closures add to the ongoing trend of increasing layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures in the gaming industry over the past three years. In 2023, over 10,000 game developers were laid off, a number that rose to over 14,000 in 2024. As 2025 progresses, the exact impact of these shutdowns on individuals remains unclear, as fewer companies are reporting specific figures.