Monolith Productions, the studio behind Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and F.E.A.R., have been shuttered by Warner Bros. in a new wave of closures at the studio.
Monolith found itself on the chopping blog alongside Player First Games, and WB Games San Diego – the creators of Multiversus. The closure also means that Monolith’s upcoming Wonder Woman game has been cancelled.
Image Credit: Monolith Productions
Warner Bros. Closes Monolith Productions and Multiversus Studio
News of the closures and cancellations broke late on Feb. 25, with employees being informed by email. Copies of the email which circulated on social media suggest that a disappointing 2024, and a switch in focus to games such as Harry Potter/Hogwarts Legacy 2, Mortal Kombat, and primarily Batman DC content, meant titles like Wonder Woman and Multiversus were no longer the priority.
Monolith Productions leaves behind a 27-year legacy in the games industry that saw them produce dozens of titles – many highly critically acclaimed.
The company’s first hit, Blood, in 1997, was an American Gothic Doom Clone, and for several years, shooters were the company’s bread and butter. Shogo: Mobile Armor Division was 1998 cult classic that took heavy inspiration from 90’s anime such as Patlabor and Dominion: Tank Police.
F.E.A.R. Image Credit: WB Studios
The company’s two biggest titles, perhaps, were F.E.A.R. and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and their associated sequels. F.E.A.R.’s supernatural shooting action made it one of a kind in the early 2000s, while Shadow of Mordor’s incredible Nemesis System made very playthrough, and enemy, unique.
After another success with Shadow of Mordor follow-up, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, in 2017, Monolith Productions was ensnared in the Wonder Woman video game gulag by Warner Bros. The company worked on the unreleased, cancelled title for over 7 years before being shuttered this week.
As mentioned, the closures also affected Multiversus creators Player First Games and WB Games San Diego. Warner Bros. answer to Super Smash Bros., Multiversus featured characters from WB’s cartoon roster, DC, and other titles. Last month it was announced Multiversus would shutter for good.
With the closures, 2025 continues the now multi-year trend of huge studio closures. As the gaming industry struggles to figure how to navigate the pitfalls of AAA game production, surely more cuts are on the way.