Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game, Closes Three Studios

Warner Bros. has made the strategic 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 detailed in a full Bloomberg report. Warner Bros. confirmed these 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 earlier reports of troubles with the Wonder Woman project, including a reboot and change in direction in early 2024. These developments are part of broader challenges within Warner Bros.' gaming division, which have included layoffs at Rocksteady, a tepid response to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the shutdown of MultiVersus.

Additionally, the gaming division has been undergoing a significant restructuring, highlighted by the departure of long-time head David Haddad and rumors of a potential sale of the division. This latest move is a significant setback for Warner Bros.' efforts to expand its DC universe through gaming, especially as James Gunn and Peter Safran recently indicated that the first DCU video game is still a few years away.

The closure of these studios is a notable 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 Shadow of War, the former introducing the innovative Nemesis system, which Warner Bros. patented in 2021. Player First Games, established in 2019, developed MultiVersus, which, despite critical acclaim and a successful launch, did not meet Warner Bros.' expectations. Similarly, WB San Diego, also founded in 2019, focused on mobile and free-to-play games.

These closures reflect a continuing trend in the games industry, with increasing layoffs, project cancellations, and studio shutdowns 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. While 2025 has seen numerous closures, the exact impact on individuals remains less clear due to fewer companies reporting specific numbers.