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

Warner Bros. has decided to cancel its eagerly anticipated Wonder Woman game and close three of its studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. The news was first shared on Bluesky and later detailed in a comprehensive Bloomberg report. Warner Bros. subsequently confirmed the closures to Kotaku, issuing the following statement:

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 earlier reports from Bloomberg indicating that the Wonder Woman project faced challenges after undergoing a reboot and a change in directors in early 2024. These issues were part of broader difficulties within Warner Bros.' gaming division, including significant layoffs at Rocksteady, a tepid response to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the closure of MultiVersus.

Moreover, Warner Bros. Games has recently undergone a significant restructuring, highlighted by the departure of long-time head David Haddad and speculation about the potential sale of the gaming division. This closure marks a significant setback for Warner Bros.' efforts to expand its DC universe through gaming. Just a day before the announcement, James Gunn and Peter Safran indicated that the first DCU video game is still a couple of years away.

The closure of these studios represents a loss for the gaming industry. Monolith Productions, established in 1994 and acquired by Warner Bros. in 2004, is renowned for its Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series, which introduced the acclaimed Nemesis system, patented by Warner Bros. in 2021. Player First Games, founded 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 add to a troubling 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, with that number rising to over 14,000 in 2024. Although 2025 has seen numerous closures, the precise impact on individuals remains less clear due to fewer companies disclosing specific numbers or details about these layoffs and shutdowns.