Yesterday’s shock information that Warner Bros. had shut down three studios and canceled its Wonder Lady sport despatched shockwaves all through the trade and the gaming neighborhood at giant. And as the mud settles on one more devastating spherical of cuts, followers of Monolith Productions’ much-loved Nemesis System are lamenting its “wasted potential.”
The Nemesis System started life as half of Monolith’s well-received 2014 motion journey sport Center-earth: Shadow of Mordor. It fuels randomly named enemies in Sauron’s military which are generated uniquely with every playthrough of the sport. Every nemesis has their very own character and will rise or fall inside their social construction as the sport progresses. They’re affected by protagonist Talion’s actions, and every will react otherwise to Talion’s incursion into Mordor, be it struggle, flight, or another response.
With 2017 sequel Shadow of Battle, Monolith sought to enhance upon its Nemesis system by growing the selection of emergent tales and their emotional affect. Warner Bros. had confirmed the Nemesis System was set to return for Monolith’s Wonder Lady sport, though it was mild on the particulars.
Introduced in December 2021 with a quick teaser trailer and description, Wonder Lady was a single-player motion journey set in a “dynamic” open-world through which gamers grew to become Diana of Themyscira in an unique story set inside the DC universe.
With Monolith’s closure, solely two video games may have made use of the Nemesis system, a reality not misplaced on followers who’re already pointing to the finish of Warner Bros. vice-like grip on the Nemesis system patent.
>WBG patents the nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor in 2021. Makes it so no different sport firm can use an identical system
>Annouces a Wonder Lady the identical yr
>No data for 4 years
>Cancels the sport by shutting down the studio making it https://t.co/VLqRHS37VZ pic.twitter.com/xzj9gAe5po— Outsid3r (@MrOutsid3r) February 25, 2025
“I do not perceive one iota how WB dealt with this Nemesis System debacle,” said redditor birminghamsterwheel. “Two video games, the final being eight years in the past, and nothing else? Not giving it to any of your different studios? Not licensing it out? WTF?”
Warner Bros. solely managed to safe the Nemesis System patent in 2021 after its utility was filed in 2016, with an adjusted expiration of August 11, 2036.
The patent, filed as “Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendettas and followers in pc video games,” successfully codifies the features of Monolith’s Nemesis system and the sum of its components as the property of Warner Bros.
Whereas the language in the utility is pretty obtuse — as most patent claims are usually — the quick model is that the patent covers a system that includes procedurally-generated NPCs that exist in a hierarchy and work together with and will bear in mind the actions of gamers, have their look/conduct altered by gamers, and whose place in that hierarchy can change and have an effect on the place of different NPCs in stated hierarchy.
It additionally covers the Social Conquest battles from Shadow of Battle, whereby gamers can fortify or assault each other’s strongholds to see how their military of orcs fares towards their mates’.
The most important sin of Monolith Productions getting the ax is that we are going to by no means see the nemesis system ever once more in any sport resulting from the patent pic.twitter.com/8c9EVyTNg6
— 𝕵𝖔𝖘𝖍 ⚰️ (@BloodShotKatana) February 25, 2025
Warner Bros. had tried to safe the patent for the system since 2015, however needed to repeatedly revise and resubmit the application. Preliminary rejections claimed that there have been too many similarities in the utility to different patents, together with these held by Sq. Enix, the cellular sport QONQR, and even Webkinz, although extra rejections had been extra targeted on the specificity of language all through the patent.
The patent means any developer wishing to construct a function with all the points detailed in the patent (or at the very least sufficient to be thought of infringement) must safe a license from Warner Bros.
Builders are in a position to create comparable programs that aren’t a 1:1 recreation of Monolith’s program, nonetheless. The Mercenaries in Murderer’s Creed Odyssey or Watch Canines Legion’s Census system are examples of dynamically-generated NPCs and social networks that weren’t met with a authorized problem.
After making two unbelievable Center-earth video games, and growing a completely distinctive “nemesis system” for them, a complete studio is shuttered seemingly as a result of of components and failures outdoors their management.
What a tragic waste. I hope these proficient people discover a new house quickly. https://t.co/iPIVySh0uA
— Bear McCreary 🐻🎶 (@bearmccreary) February 26, 2025
However what occurs now? With no Monolith round to make use of the Nemesis system and its Wonder Lady sport canceled, there are fears Warner Bros.’ Nemesis patent will merely act as a deterrent till 2036 and go unused for one more decade.
It wasn’t simply Monolith and Wonder Girls that had been minimize. Warner Bros. additionally shut down MultiVersus developer Participant First Video games and WB San Diego. Right here’s Warner Bros.’ assertion:
Now we have needed to make some very troublesome selections to construction our growth studios and investments round constructing the greatest video games doable with our key franchises — Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Recreation of Thrones. After cautious consideration, we’re closing three of our growth studios — Monolith Productions, Participant First Video games and Warner Bros. Video games San Diego. This can be a strategic change in route and not a mirrored image of these groups or the expertise that consists inside them.
The event of Monolith’s Wonder Lady videogame won’t transfer ahead. Our hope was to offer gamers and followers the highest high quality expertise doable for the iconic character, and sadly that is now not doable inside our strategic priorities. That is one other powerful choice, as we acknowledge Monolith’s storied historical past of delivering epic fan experiences via superb video games. We drastically admire the ardour of the three groups and thank each worker for his or her contributions. As troublesome as right this moment is, we stay targeted on and enthusiastic about getting again to producing high-quality video games for our passionate followers and developed by our world class studios and getting our Video games enterprise again to profitability and progress in 2025 and past.
Create the Nemesis system for video video games
Everybody loves it
Refuse to permit anybody else to make use of it
By no means use it once more
Shut down a bunch of your sport builders
Fuckin’ bravo WB
— Aeon Penenko ⓸ 🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 (@AeonPeneko) February 25, 2025
These shutdowns proceed a development going again roughly three years of growing video games trade layoffs, challenge cancellations, and studio closures. In 2023 alone, it is estimated that over 10,000 game developers were laid off. That quantity shot as much as over 14,000 in 2024, and whereas 2025 has seen numerous closures, the actual quantity of impacted people is hazier resulting from fewer firms reporting these layoffs and shutdowns, or particular numbers affected.
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.