Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game, Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. has announced the cancellation of its much-anticipated Wonder Woman game and the closure of three of its development studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego. This news was initially reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on Bluesky, followed by a detailed report on Bloomberg. Warner Bros. later confirmed these developments 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 comes amidst a challenging period for Warner Bros.' gaming division. Earlier reports from Bloomberg highlighted issues with the Wonder Woman project, including a reboot and a change in directors in early 2024. These developments followed broader struggles within the company, including layoffs at Rocksteady, the disappointing reception to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the closure of MultiVersus.

Adding to the turmoil, the gaming division has undergone a significant restructuring. Long-time head David Haddad has left the company, and there have been rumors that the division might be sold off. This move is a significant setback for Warner Bros.' efforts to expand its DC universe through gaming, especially as James Gunn and Peter Safran recently announced that it would be "a couple of years" before the first DCU video game is released.

The closure of these studios marks a significant loss for the gaming industry. Monolith Productions, founded in 1994 and acquired by Warner Bros. 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 Warner Bros. in 2021. Player First Games, established in 2019, developed MultiVersus, which, despite critical acclaim and a successful launch, did not meet Warner Bros.' expectations. WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile and free-to-play games.

These closures contribute to an ongoing trend of increasing layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures in the gaming industry. In 2023, over 10,000 game developers were laid off, with the number rising to over 14,000 in 2024. While 2025 has seen numerous closures, the exact impact on individuals remains unclear due to less transparency from companies regarding these layoffs and shutdowns.