Drama unfolds behind the scenes at Warner Bros. Games. A new report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier suggests the long-anticipated Monolith Productions-developed Wonder Woman game hit some significant turbulence. In news that will seemingly be akin to going back to basics for Rocksteady, just off the back of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the studio is apparently going to head back to the all too familiar, shadowy streets of Gotham.
Wonder Woman's Rocky Road
Remember the Wonder Woman game teaser from The Game Awards 2021? It promised an origin story, the Nemesis system from the Shadow of Mordor games, and the might of the Amazonian princess. But fast forward over three years, and silence. Schreier's report suggests there is a reason for that quiet. Apparently, the Wonder Woman project got rebooted in early 2024, landing a new director and a clean slate. It is implied in the report that over $100 million has been invested already, and yet it is still referred to as a game years off from release and not even certain to launch at all. A lot of dev time and money for little in the way of public evidence, then.
Rocksteady Returns to the Bat-Cave
With the not-so-good reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, it would appear that Rocksteady returns to what they know best. The report has essentially confirmed the suspicion many had: Rocksteady is indeed working on a new single-player Batman game. While that might get fans of more Arkham-style adventures excited, word is this new project too remains in the early stages of development and will take quite a while to develop. Batman is back, but it requires patience.
Warner Bros. Games: The Bigger Picture
It seems like the report is trying to paint Warner Bros. Games in a dire position. While they have had major success with Hogwarts Legacy, it has been complemented by notable missteps. The failure of Suicide Squad and MultiVersus's shutting down after only a short run as a live-service game are contributing to some feelings of instability. It is noted that recent times have also seen the exit of Warner Bros. Games CEO David Haddad.
Looking Ahead
The future release schedule for Warner Bros. Games is said to be 'thin' in the short term. With big projects like Wonder Woman and the new Batman game still years away, and other studios like Warner Bros. Games Montreal reportedly lending a hand on Wonder Woman while simultaneously pitching a Game of Thrones title, it would seem Warner Bros. Games is in that phase of restructuring and recalibrating its strategy for game development. These next few years could be pivotal for them.
