It has been revealed that someWarner Bros. Interactivegames will be affected by the Warner Media and Discovery merger. As of right now, it is unclear how this change will impact titles thatWarner Bros. Interactivehas in development or is intending to publish.
Warner Bros. Interactive is known mostly for its licensed games, including those based on some of the world’s biggest franchises. For example, the studio currently holds the right to theHarry Potterfranchise and is working on thehighly anticipatedHogwarts Legacy.
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IGN Reporter Julia Alexander revealed the news on Twitter. It seems the sale definitely involved some of Warner Bros. Interactive’s games, but not all of them. There is currently no information on what specific games were sold and kept, so fans of the studio’s titles will have to wait for more information. The tweet also mentions that the sale includes DC Comics, so it is possible that WB Games Montreal’srecently delayedGotham Knightscould be part of the sale, though that is speculation for now.
As for the rest of the games and licenses owned by Warner Bros. Interactive, there is little information to speculate on, but it will be interesting to see the effects of the merger on projects in development. The recent delays of bothGotham KnightsandHogwarts Legacyhave already left the studio with a gap in its release schedule, and more delays could potentially hurt its financial prospects. There is also stillscarce information on Rocksteady’sSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,which is one of the most anticipated games in the studio’s library.
Another interesting thing to consider isWarner Bros.' successfully patenting of the Nemesis system, a huge selling point ofShadow of Mordorand its sequelShadow of War.If these games are part of the deal, that potentially leaves the patent’s outside use up in the air, and it’s unclear whether the sale would include this patent, or if a potential future game in the series would lack the feature. Right now, there is no way of knowing until more information is released, but this merger definitely raises some questions.
Fans of games published or developed byWaner Bros. Interactivewill just have to wait until more information surrounding this merger is made public. Though that being said, it is interesting that a business deal first and foremost about streaming media content could have such an impact on the games industry.
