UPDATE: Warner Bros. has confirmed the closure of all three studios in an announcement supplied to Kotaku.
“Now we have needed to make some very troublesome selections to construction our growth studios and investments round constructing the very best video games doable with our key franchises -– Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Sport of Thrones,” WB instructed Kotaku. “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 never a mirrored image of those groups or the expertise that consists inside them.”
In addition they confirmed the cancellation of the Surprise Girl recreation which was being labored on at Monolith.
ORIGINAL STORY: Warner Bros. has had a loopy few years, launching the absurdly profitable Hogwarts Legacy whereas additionally placing out varied failures corresponding to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the impressively mid Gotham Knights. Now, the exact same journalist who reported the corporate’s behind-the-scenes issues final month is saying that Warner Bros. is shutting down a number of studios.
Jason Schreier of Bloomberg is the person who broke the story, taking to BlueSky to interrupt the information that Warner Bros. is seemingly shutting down Monolith Productions, Participant First Video games, and WB San Diego.
Consequently, the Surprise Girl recreation, which Jason beforehand reported was nonetheless years away from being launched, can be being cancelled fully.
“BREAKING: Warner Bros. Video games is shutting down Monolith Productions, Participant First Video games, and WB San Diego, sources inform Bloomberg Information,” wrote Schreier. “Warner Bros. can be canceling the Surprise Girl recreation.”
He states {that a} full story on the report shall be revealed on Bloomberg.
Garrett Huxtable, Methods Designer at Monolith, has confirmed this reporting on LinkedIn. In a put up made as we speak, Garrett says: “At this time Monolith Productions (WB Video games) obtained information that we are going to be shutting down. As such, I shall be on the lookout for work efficient instantly.”
Monolith Productions is probably greatest recognized for its two Center-Earth video games which had been constructed across the implausible Nemesis system. However the firm, which was based in 1997, additionally put out titles like F.E.A.R. With the staff being tasked with making a Surprise Girl recreation, their final revealed recreation was in 2017.
Looking out by way of LinkedIn, I’ve discovered quite a few different present Monolith workers posting in the previous few hours about shedding their jobs or are in search of work, indicating that the reviews of the studio’s closure are correct.
Participant First Video games lately suffered a large blow with the closure of its live-service title Mulitversus, a brawler the place quite a few Warner Bros. IP might battle one another, like Batman getting the shit kicked out of him by Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.
Lastly. Warner Bros. San Diego was based in 2019 and was engaged on a “”thrilling new AAA, free-to-play, cross-platform recreation”. If the information is true, they’ll have been shuttered with out ever attending to launch a recreation.
A senior designer at WB San Diego additionally posted on LinkedIn confirming the studios’ closure, saying: “Hey all, WB Video games San Diego is closing down so I’m open to new alternatives.”
