Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game, Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. Games is restructuring, resulting in the cancellation of its Wonder Woman game and the closure of three studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. This news, initially reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, was subsequently confirmed by Warner Bros. in a statement.

The company cited a strategic shift towards focusing development and investment on its key franchises – Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones – as the reason for the closures. While acknowledging the talent and contributions of the affected teams, WB stated that continuing development on the Wonder Woman game was no longer strategically viable, despite aiming for a high-quality product.

This decision follows earlier reports of difficulties surrounding the Wonder Woman game's development, including reboots and director changes. It also comes amidst broader challenges for WB Games, including layoffs at Rocksteady, the mixed reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the shutdown of MultiVersus, and the recent departure of long-time games head David Haddad. Rumors of a potential sale of the division have also circulated.

The closures represent a significant setback for WB's DC universe gaming ambitions, particularly given recent statements by James Gunn and Peter Safran indicating a delay of several years before the release of the first DCU video game.

The impacted studios boast impressive histories. Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by WB in 2004, is renowned for the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series and its innovative Nemesis system. Player First Games (established 2019) developed MultiVersus, which, despite initial success, fell short of expectations. WB San Diego (also established 2019) focused on mobile, free-to-play titles.

These closures underscore a broader trend in the games industry. The past three years have witnessed a significant increase in layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures. While precise figures for 2025 are less readily available, the pattern of job losses continues, adding to the already substantial numbers reported in 2023 (over 10,000) and 2024 (over 14,000).