Big changes are brewing in Gotham and beyond. Warner Bros. Games just hit the reset button on its executive team, signaling a sharp shift in strategy after some high-profile misfires (Suicide Squad, we’re looking at you).
Here’s what’s going down—and why it matters for fans of Batman, Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, and Game of Thronesgames.
New Game, New Players: Who’s Calling the Shots Now?
In a move to stabilize its gaming arm, WB has appointed three new senior VPs to lead its most valuable properties:
- Yves Lachance (ex-WB Games Montréal) is now SVP of Development, tasked with steering the ship for upcoming Harry Potter and Game of Thrones titles.
- Shaun Himmerick (former NetherRealm boss) becomes SVP of Mortal Kombat and DC games, overseeing WB’s fighting game cash cows and whatever James Gunn’s brewing.
- Steven Flenory from WB Games New York is now SVP of Central Tech & Services, covering QA, publishing tools, user research, and backend support.
These three now report directly to JB Perrette, the Warner Bros. Discovery exec overseeing streaming and gaming. This is a massive centralization effort aimed at reducing silos and boosting synergy between franchises.
The Fallout: From $200M Bombs to a Strategic Reset
Let’s be real—WB’s gaming division has taken a few Ls lately:
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a massive commercial flop, leading to a $200 million write-down.
- MultiVersus, once hyped as a Smash Bros. killer, underperformed financially—burning through an estimated $100 million.
- The Wonder Woman project? Reportedly scrapped.
These financial stumbles forced a hard pivot: WB will now double down on four proven mega-franchises:
- Harry Potter
- Game of Thrones
- Mortal Kombat
- The DC Universe
It’s a back-to-basics play—less experimentation, more monetizable IP.
What’s Next for Your Favorite Franchises?
Here’s what insiders are buzzing about:
1. Batman Is Back
Rocksteady, trying to recover from Suicide Squad’s disaster, is reportedly shifting focus to a new single-player Batman game. No live-service gimmicks, just capes and crime-fighting—thank god.
2. A Game of Thrones Renaissance
WB Games Montréal is pitching a next-gen Game of Thrones game, possibly to ride the House of the Dragon hype. A console-level RPG in Westeros? Yes, please.
3. Hogwarts Legacy Sequel
After Hogwarts Legacy sold over 22 million copies, Avalanche Software is expected to conjure up a sequel. No confirmed date, but it’s basically inevitable.
4. More Mortal Kombat
NetherRealm continues to support MK1, with DLCs like Omni-Man and Homelander. Expect Mortal Kombat 13 talk in the next 18–24 months.
5. Game of Thrones RTS
A real-time strategy spin-off is slated for 2026, following a mobile version that dropped earlier this year. Could be a sleeper hit if it nails the politics and warfare of the series.
What This Means for Gamers
No layoffs (yet), but the tone is clear: WB Games is done gambling on unproven ideas. They want hits, not experiments. This could be good news for fans of polished, single-player experiences—especially after the live-service fatigue of recent years.
But it also means fewer risks, fewer new IPs, and possibly more franchise fatigue if WB leans too hard on their golden geese.
Expert Insight: The Franchise Gamble
From a business lens, this move is textbook risk mitigation:
- Big franchises like Mortal Kombat and Harry Potter have built-in audiences and massive merch potential.
- Centralizing leadership can streamline development, improve QA, and reduce miscommunication between studios.
- But over-indexing on safe bets could stifle innovation—just ask Ubisoft what happens when you make 12 sequels too many.
Final Word: Smart Reset or Same Old Story?
This is a calculated, probably necessary move by Warner Bros. Games—but it’s also a familiar one. The games that define this era will be the ones that balance franchise power with bold execution.
Now the ball’s in their court. Will Rocksteady redeem themselves? Will Avalanche avoid sequel fatigue? And will we finally get a DC game that doesn’t self-destruct on launch?
Your turn:
Would you rather see a dark, story-driven Batman reboot or a full Game of Thrones RPG? Which franchise should WB lean into next—and which should they leave alone?
Drop your thoughts below. Let’s get nerdy in the comments.
