After admitting its video video games enterprise “is considerably underperforming its potential proper now,” Warner Bros. has mentioned it plans to double down on 4 key titles, namechecking Batman specifically.
2024 has been a brutal 12 months for Warner Bros. Games, with Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s failure sparking a $200 million hit to income, and then Smash Bros.-style brawler MultiVersus flopping to the tune of $100 million.
That’s a complete writedown of over $300 million in Warner Bros.’ video games enterprise to this point in 2024, and it doesn’t appear like the corporate has a recreation popping out any time quickly that may reverse the development.
So, what’s the plan? Throughout a monetary name, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav mentioned that on the video games facet of issues, the corporate plans to double down on simply 4 titles, and considerably cut back the quantity of video video games it releases within the course of.
These video games are Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC “specifically Batman,” Zaslav added.
“We’re by some of the worst — and it hasn’t been fairly on the gaming enterprise — however we have now 4 video games which can be actually highly effective and have an actual constituency that love them, and we’re going to focus on these 4 primarily,” he mentioned.
“We’re going to go away from attempting to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 completely different video games. I feel we have now an actual likelihood now with focus to have the gaming enterprise be steadier.
“Now we have 4 robust and worthwhile recreation franchises with loyal, world followers: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC specifically Batman. We’re focusing our growth efforts on these core franchises, with confirmed studios to enhance our success ratio.”
The apparent spotlight there’s Batman. Controversial stay service looter shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s failure was partly due to it not being one more single-player Batman Arkham recreation, which developer Rocksteady is best-known for. Warner Bros. Games simply launched a VR-exclusive Batman Arkham recreation. Might Rocksteady now be set to return to Batman after Suicide Squad’s struggles?
Earlier this 12 months, Bloomberg reported that workers at Rocksteady have been at present working on a director’s reduce of the phenomenally profitable Hogwarts Legacy, whereas management pitches a return to single-player following its stay service misstep. Might that pitch have concerned Batman, and been profitable?
It might be a while earlier than we discover out. Within the shorter time period, Warner Bros. has confirmed growth on a Hogwarts Legacy sequel and it has a Marvel Lady recreation within the works at Monolith Productions.
NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 1 launched in September final 12 months, and followers are questioning what it’s up to subsequent. In September, NetherRealm growth chief Ed Boon confirmed the studio had determined on its subsequent recreation three years in the past, however insisted it was “nonetheless totally dedicated to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a very long time to come.” Most followers of the studio’s work count on it to launch a 3rd recreation in its DC combating recreation franchise, Injustice, though neither NetherRealm nor proprietor and writer Warner Bros. has but to verify that.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You’ll be able to attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.