Warner Bros. officially closed its Monolith Productions studio on February 25, 2025, marking the end of the long-standing game developer known for its impactful works. The closure was accompanied by the cancellation of their anticipated game based on the DC superhero, Wonder Woman, stirring both shock and dismay among its employees.
According to Jason Schreier, journalist at Bloomberg and the first to report the studio's fate, the employees of Monolith were informed of their impending job loss at the very last moment. Schreier emphasized, "Employees discovered their fate literally at the last moment, just before the news became public," illustrating the abruptness of the decision. This sudden notification left many developers scrambling for answers just as the broader gaming community learned of the closure.
Monolith Productions had been part of the Warner Bros. family for years and had gained recognition for developing the acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series. Despite their past successes, the studio had been undergoing significant turmoil since the cancellation of their ambitious project, Legacy, which occurred back in 2021. That cancellation drove out much of Monolith’s leadership and several key staff members, radically altering their operational dynamics.
The development of the Wonder Woman game, which was initially scheduled to be rolled out under Monolith, had begun around mid-2021, approximately six months before its public reveal at The Game Awards later the same year. Despite initial enthusiasm, challenges arose almost immediately. The studio was reportedly engulfed in self-inflicted complications due to its decision to utilize their proprietary engine instead of transitioning to the more widely-used Unreal Engine. This choice significantly hampered productivity, especially when it came to utilizing cutting-edge technology, as many developers familiar with their proprietary system had left after the Legacy project was scrapped.
For Monolith, it seemed almost nothing could go right. By the end of 2023, the development of Wonder Woman had to be rebooted. “The development of Wonder Woman was restarted from scratch between late 2023 and early 2024... the Nemesis System was shelved and Wonder Woman was modified to become a more classic Action/Adventure style game akin to God of War,” Schreier explained during his interview on the Kinda Funny Games podcast. These adjustments came amid growing concerns over how to effectively design the game and meet the lofty expectations of fans and Warner Bros. alike.
The fallout from the closure of Monolith Productions reflects wider issues within Warner Bros.' gaming divisions, particularly as its Montreal counterpart has struggled with setbacks of its own. Having faced the disappointing performance of Gotham Knights, WB Games Montreal had been restructured after previous projects centered around the Suicide Squad and the sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight were also canceled. Jason Schreier mentioned, "WB Games Montreal had proposed to develop several new titles related to existing IPs, but failed to gain approval, leading to uncertainty surrounding its future prospects."
Future projects sparked discussions between the development teams within WB Games, especially with whispers about possible games surrounding Game of Thrones; yet nothing has been formally sanctioned. It remains uncertain whether Warner Bros. intends to replace Monolith or if it will absorb its functions under various existing teams, making for compelling speculation among industry observers.
This drastic change marks yet another chapter of uncertainty within the gaming development sector, particularly for Warner Bros. The abrupt closure of Monolith Productions leaves many wondering about the fate of those affected and what lies next for the titles they've long aspired to create. Depending on the forthcoming decisions from Warner Bros., the closure could serve as both the end of era for Monolith and perhaps the beginning of new strategies for its gaming divisions.
With many studios grappling with the challenges of modern game development, it poses the question of how industry giants will navigate the burgeoning demand for innovative experiences and sustainable development practices going forward. The gaming community awaits to see how such restructurings will shape future releases and the equilibrium between profitability and creativity.