David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced plans to streamline the company’s gaming division by narrowing its focus to just four key franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC titles, with a special emphasis on Batman.
Zaslav explained that 2024 has been a challenging year for the gaming sector, and this strategic shift aims to address financial setbacks from recent releases. By concentrating on these major franchises, Warner Bros. Discovery hopes to stabilize its gaming division and enhance profitability.
“We are going through one of the worst months – and it has not been easy in the gaming industry at all – but we have four games that have great appeal and a large audience that loves them, so we will focus on these as a priority. We are going to abandon the strategy of trying to launch 10,12, 15, 20 different games”, reveals the executive.
For the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, they should start working with renowned studios to further strengthen their major franchises.
“We have four strong and profitable game franchises, with loyal fans around the world: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones and DC, in particular Batman. We will focus our development efforts on these essential franchises, with studios that have proven themselves to improve our success rate.”
Warner Bros studios
Many of the franchises highlighted by Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO already have a clear direction within the company’s gaming division. Avalanche Software, which developed the first Hogwarts Legacy, is likely working on its sequel. Similarly, Mortal Kombat remains under the helm of NetherRealm Studios, expected to continue releasing content updates for Mortal Kombat 1. Additionally, Monolith Productions, known for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, is currently developing a new Wonder Woman game.
The uncertainty lies with Rocksteady Studios. After releasing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in early 2024, the game received poor reviews and underperformed financially, causing significant losses for Warner Bros. It remains unclear whether Rocksteady will be given another opportunity to revisit the Batman franchise.
It’s also worth noting that both MultiVersus and Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions fell short of financial expectations, which may lead Warner Bros. Discovery to scale back on similar projects in the future. This shift reflects a more cautious approach in response to the disappointing returns from recent titles.
