MultiVersus Archives

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

An unannounced Hogwarts Legacy expansion and ‘definitive edition’ have reportedly been cancelled

Warner Bros. Games has canceled plans for an expansion and a "Definitive Edition" release of Hogwarts Legacy as part of its restructuring efforts. The cancellation was influenced by a cost-benefit analysis that deemed the financial investment unjustifiable. This decision follows substantial financial losses from other Warner titles, leading to studio closures and the cancellation of a Wonder Woman game. David Haddad, the chief of Warner Bros. Games, resigned prior to these closures. Despite the success of Hogwarts Legacy in 2023 and the company's commitment to the Harry Potter franchise, the cancellation of the expansion has raised questions. A sequel to Hogwarts Legacy remains a priority for Warner.

AppWizard

March 1, 2025

Games revenue dipped 53% at Warner Bros during 2024

Warner Bros reported a 53% drop in revenue for its gaming division in 2024, as disclosed in its 10-K filing with the SEC. The overall content revenue declined by eight percent, primarily due to the decrease in gaming revenue, which saw a 29% year-on-year drop in the final quarter of 2024. The decline is attributed to underperforming titles in 2024, following the success of previous releases like Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1. The company plans to close several studios, including Monolith, Player First, and its San Diego studio, and will focus on four key franchises: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC Comics. Warner Bros aims to restore profitability to its Games division by 2025 and enhance its contribution to the company's growth.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Warner Bros shuts down three studios, including Monolith

Warner Bros has announced the closure of three development studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and its mobile-focused San Diego studio. As a result, 131 employees in Kirkland, Washington, will be laid off. Monolith Productions is known for titles such as Fear, Condemned, Shadow of Mordor, and Shadow of War, but its anticipated Wonder Woman game will not be developed. Player First Games is recognized for the game Multiversus. Warner Bros stated that the closures are part of a strategic shift to focus on key franchises like Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones, and emphasized that the decision does not reflect the talent of the teams involved.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Warner Bros. is closing Monolith, Player First Games, and WB San Diego, and has cancelled its Wonder Woman game

Warner Bros. Games has announced the closure of several studios, including Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB San Diego, following the resignation of David Haddad, the chief of Warner Bros. Games for 12 years. The closures include the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, which was first unveiled in 2021. Player First Games, known for Multiversus, has left its team with a sense of loss, as expressed by game director Tony Huynh. Monolith Productions, recognized for titles like Blood and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, has also shut down. Warner Bros. Games is facing financial difficulties, including a 0 million loss from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and a 0 million writedown due to Multiversus' underperformance. CEO JB Perrette aims for the company to return to profitability by 2025, acknowledging it will take two to three years to rebuild. Rocksteady is reportedly developing a new single-player Batman game, which could signify a positive direction for the company.

AppWizard

February 19, 2025

‘Just couldn’t dodge that big boot I guess, no matter how big the success of the gig’: Marvel Rivals developers in the US say NetEase just laid off their whole team

NetEase has confirmed layoffs affecting the development team behind Marvel Rivals, specifically reducing the design team based in Seattle for organizational reasons. The company emphasized its commitment to treating impacted employees with confidentiality and respect. Despite the layoffs, NetEase stated that the core development team in China remains dedicated to enhancing the game, which has over 200,000 active players on Steam and reportedly generated an estimated million in its first month. Currently, there are no Seattle-based developers working on Marvel Rivals. The layoffs have raised questions given the game's financial success, and industry observers speculate this may be part of a broader strategy to streamline the development team. NetEase has also been scaling back its U.S. operations recently.

AppWizard

February 7, 2025

Rocksteady is looking to make a new singleplayer Batman game, but Warner’s Wonder Woman game is struggling

Warner Bros. Games is facing significant challenges following the poor performance of several titles, including Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which led to a 0 million loss. Rocksteady Studios is planning a new single-player Batman game, returning to its roots after the disappointing reception of previous games. Hogwarts Legacy was a success, but Quidditch Champions has struggled with only 90 users on Steam, and Multiversus has halted development due to a loss of interest. The anticipated Wonder Woman game has been rebooted, and WB Games Montreal shifted focus from Gotham Knights to a now-scrapped Flash game. CEO David Haddad is departing, and JB Perrette has projected a return to profitability by 2025, although it may take two to three years to achieve this.

AppWizard

December 14, 2024

The Game Awards 2024 results: All the winners

The Game Awards celebrated its tenth anniversary with major announcements and awards. Highlights included the reveal of a new Witcher title, a spinoff of Elden Ring, and a first look at Borderlands 4. Astro Bot won four awards, including Game of the Year, while Metaphor: Refantazio and Balatro each won three awards. Baldur's Gate 3 was recognized for Best Community Support. Key award winners: - Best Fighting Game: Tekken 8 - Best VR/AR Game: Batman: Arkham Shadow - Best Esports Game: League of Legends - Best Esports Athlete: Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) - Best Esports Team: T1 (League of Legends) - Games for Impact: Neva - Innovation in Accessibility: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Best Family Game: Astro Bot - Best Performance: Melina Juergens (Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2) - Best Action Game: Black Myth: Wukong - Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6 - Best Multiplayer Game: Helldivers 2 - Best Game Direction: Astro Bot - Best Action Adventure Game: Astro Bot - Content Creator of the Year: Caseoh - Best Sports/Racing Game: EA Sports FC 25 - Best Sim/Strategy Game: Frostpunk 2 - Best Ongoing Game: Helldivers 2 - Best Adaptation: Fallout - Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - Best Independent Game: Balatro - Best Debut Indie Game: Balatro - Best Mobile Game: Balatro - Best Audio Design: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - Game Changer: Amir Satvat - Players' Voice: Black Myth: Wukong

AppWizard

November 8, 2024

Warner Bros admits games business is “substantially underperforming”

Warner Bros Discovery's video games division is facing significant challenges, described as "substantially underperforming," with losses exceeding 0 million due to underperforming titles. The free-to-play game MultiVersus has been particularly problematic. CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the need for more consistent performance from the games business and identified four strong and profitable franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and the DC Universe, particularly Batman. The company plans to recalibrate its strategy by focusing on these core franchises and leveraging the strengths of proven studios.

AppWizard

October 10, 2024

Many Of 2024’s Biggest Games Don’t Play Well On Steam Deck

The Steam Deck, launched in 2022, is facing performance challenges with many new game releases as it approaches its third anniversary in February 2025. Notable titles like Silent Hill 2, Space Marine 2, Hellblade 2, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Black Myth: Wukong, and others are marked as "Unsupported" or struggle to run optimally on the device, often requiring significant downgrades in settings. While some games like Helldivers 2 and Tekken 8 are playable, the overall gaming experience is diminishing as the device ages. The Steam Deck excels with indie titles but is increasingly unable to handle demanding new games effectively.

AppWizard

September 4, 2024

Is there any chance of a Concord comeback? Here are 5 other times major PC games failed to launch, and what happened next

Concord's director, Ryan Ellis, announced the immediate cessation of sales for the game and a full refund for all players who purchased it on PS5 or PC, following its brief availability of 14 days from August 20 to September 3. The servers for Concord will also be taken offline. Similar titles like Amazon's Crucible and BioWare's Anthem faced challenges leading to their shutdowns, while MultiVersus experienced a decline in player engagement after an initial success. Fortnite successfully pivoted by introducing the Battle Royale mode, while Valve's Artifact failed to engage players and was ultimately canceled.