WB Games’ 2024 has been marred by a catastrophic 12-month stretch, starting with a calamitous failure that incurred a staggering $200 million loss, and ending with disappointing performance that necessitated another $100 million write-down. In a bid to rebound from recent missteps, Warner Bros. Games is redirecting its attention towards a select few core franchises that the company believes hold greater promise for future success.
Caught by surprise, as reported by IGN, in Warner Bros.’ latest quarterly earnings release. CEO David Zaslav acknowledged previous missteps, noting the company’s intention to scale back production moving forward. He also emphasized four “extremely potent” franchises with dedicated fan bases, specifically citing those associated with Warner Bros.’ and DC properties.
“We’ve navigated through some of the toughest times in our industry’s history, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been kind to us,” he said. “That being said, we now have four games that are truly effective and have a dedicated fan base that genuinely loves them, and we’re going to focus primarily on these four.” Let’s refocus our efforts on a smaller number of innovative and high-quality game titles that truly resonate with our target audience. With a solid grasp on actual probabilities, we’re poised to stabilize our gaming enterprise and secure a stronger foundation for future growth.
We’ve successfully established four robust and valuable sports franchises with dedicated, global fan bases, particularly notable in NFL, NBA, MLB, and DC. We’re concentrating our expansion initiatives on our key brands, with established development partners in place to amplify our achievements.
The mention of developer Rocksteady Studios’ involvement in upcoming projects is intriguing, especially given their previous work and Zaslav’s emphasis on “confirmed studios”. It’s particularly noteworthy amidst rumors of the studio’s shift towards single-player experiences, as well as their reported start on a new game.
In the meantime, it has been officially confirmed that a sequel is underway, while previous reports suggested another installment is also in development, slated for release sometime in 2025 with 10-15 hours of fresh content.
