Warner Bros. Games has announced a reorganization aimed at concentrating efforts on four primary franchises: Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC Universe, and Game of Thrones. This strategic shift, revealed earlier in the year, coincided with the closure of several studios and the cancellation of a major project. Additionally, the restructuring includes a significant leadership change, promoting three studio heads to senior vice president positions within WB Games, where they will oversee the development and production of critical intellectual properties (IPs), services, and technologies. Notably, this restructuring effort does not involve layoffs at WB Games.
WB Games Prioritizes Major Franchises
The leadership updates mean that Yves Lachance, who leads WB Games Montréal—responsible for titles such as Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights—will take on the role of senior vice president, focusing on development teams dedicated to Harry Potter and Game of Thrones projects, according to a report from Variety. Shaun Himmerick, head of the Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm, is set to oversee the Mortal Kombat and DC Universe game divisions.
Additionally, Steven Flenory, head of the New York studio, will assume the position of senior vice president, managing game and publishing technology, customer service, quality assurance, and user research.
In a statement on Tuesday, JB Perrette, CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasized the significance of the company’s iconic franchises and expressed commitment to refining the team structure to create long-term plans. “We are very fortunate to have a strong stable of development and technology talent, and Yves, Shaun and Steven are respected leaders with excellent track records,” he stated. Perrette will oversee the three new SVPs responsible for key IPs and services.
Challenges Within Warner Bros.
This restructuring comes on the heels of significant challenges within Warner Bros. Games, which experienced a $300 million loss in 2024 due to underperforming titles such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus. The upheaval also led to the departure of David Haddad, the head of WB Interactive, earlier this year. Following the lackluster performance of several of its games, Warner Bros. Games shuttered three studios in February and halted development on the Wonder Woman game being produced by Monolith Productions, announcing a renewed focus on its core franchises.
At that time, the company acknowledged the tough decisions needed to realign its development studios and resources to deliver the best possible games centered around Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones.
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines with the announcement of a split into two distinct media entities, Streaming & Studios and Global Networks, effectively separating its film, television, streaming, and gaming sectors from sports and news operations.