A new report says that Monolith’s Wonder Woman game has gone through a behind-the-scenes reboot and so far cost Warner Bros. over $100 million. Even with such a massive sum of money, it sounds like the game is years away yet.
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Monolith’s Wonder Woman Game Reportedly Rebooted, Costs Exceed $100M, Still Years Away from Release
The project has had a troubled development, according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. In early 2023, there was a reboot followed by a change of director but sources indicate that, although work continues, the future of the game is up in the air. Despite the budget, there’s no guarantee Wonder Woman will even make it to market, Schreier notes.
Monolith was going to create a new IP after releasing 2017’s Middle-earth: Shadow of War, which introduced procedural storytelling. However, Warner Bros. executives were not interested, eventually scrapping the project three years later. Instead, the studio was transferred to a Warner Bros. franchise. After studio head Kevin Stephens and a few key creatives departed (and eventually went on to work with EA on a Black Panther game), the rest of the Monolith team re-focused on Wonder Woman.
According to Schreier’s report, an early version of the game tried to reinvent the Nemesis system from the Middle-earth games, letting Wonder Woman befriend enemies. However, that idea was later scrapped and ended up going for a more traditional action-adventure approach. First announced at The Game Awards 2021, Monolith has remained silent on Wonder Woman’s progress, aside from confirming that it will not be a live-service title.
Rumors of troubled development first appeared last year, and those fears have only seemed to grow. This dynamic is emblematic of a wider phenomenon of woes at Warner Bros. Games. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a $200 million commercial flop, Gotham Knights didn’t find great sales success, and MultiVersus is closing down in May. In the meantime, with Wonder Woman having development challenges, Warner Bros.’ gaming unit still facing obstacles.
FAQs
Is the Wonder Woman game still in development?
Yes, but reports suggest it has been rebooted and is years away from release.
Will the game use the Nemesis system?
No, the Nemesis system concept was scrapped for a traditional action-adventure approach.
