Warner Bros. has made the tough decision to cancel its eagerly 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, with a detailed follow-up article on Bloomberg. Warner Bros. later confirmed the closures to Kotaku, stating:
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.
This decision follows a challenging period for Warner Bros.' gaming division, marked by earlier reports of the Wonder Woman game facing difficulties after a reboot and change in directors in early 2024. The company also experienced layoffs at Rocksteady, a tepid reception to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the closure of MultiVersus.
Adding to the turmoil, WB Games has undergone significant restructuring, highlighted by the departure of long-time games head David Haddad and rumors of a potential sale of the division.
The closure of these studios is a significant setback for Warner Bros.' efforts to expand its DC universe through gaming. Just yesterday, James Gunn and Peter Safran indicated that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away.
The shutdowns affect three notable studios: Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by WB in 2004, known for the acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, which introduced the innovative Nemesis system patented by WB in 2021; Player First Games, established in 2019 and creators of MultiVersus, which, despite critical acclaim and a successful launch, did not meet WB's expectations; and WB San Diego, also established in 2019, focusing on mobile and free-to-play games.
These closures add to the ongoing trend of layoffs, project cancellations, and studio shutdowns in the gaming industry, with over 10,000 developers laid off in 2023 and more than 14,000 in 2024. While 2025 has seen numerous closures, the exact impact remains unclear due to less transparency around specific numbers and affected individuals.
