Warner Bros. Discovery has been in a bit of a downfall over the past couple years, with CEO David Zaslav gaining infamy for his ruthless tactics in cancelling almost-complete projects in order to gain a couple extra million in tax write-offs. Following years of confusing and nonsensical decisions, WB recently announced a complete shake-up to the company’s structure – one which puts Warner Bros. Discovery in the perfect position to sell off parts of itself to other interested parties. Now, I’m bothered by the consolidation of the games industry just as much as the next person, but in the wake of failed project after failed project, Warner Bros. games division under Zaslav would likely become nothing more than a relic of the past given enough time. As such, the rumours that Sony is interested in purchasing part of WBD actually presents an opportunity which ultimately could make for a more innovative, interesting and involved industry.
To give some context, on the 9th of June 2025, Warner Bros. published a press release announcing their “plans to separate the company, in a tax-free transaction, into two publicly traded companies, enabling each to maximize its potential”. The ‘Streaming and Studios’ segment consists of “Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max (including its international sports offering), Warner Bros. Games, Tours, Retail and Experiences, as well as studio production facilities in Burbank and Leavesden.”
The ‘Global Networks’ half meanwhile includes “premier entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as the profitable Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report.”
In the wake of this restructuring, a report was released claiming that Sony is “considering a purchase of WBD’s streaming and other assets” – with a focus on the company’s “HBO MAX streaming service, IPs and its gaming assets.”
Though this of course should be taken with a massive pinch of salt, the same report claims that Sony was only interested in WBD’s assets as long as the streaming, studio and gaming segments “were separated from its cable networks” – the separation of which has now occurred.
Assuming all of this is indeed true, Sony’s proposed acquisition of WBD could represent a strong positive for the overall games industry. This is why.
As mentioned, the past few years has not been kind to Warner Bros. games division, with their most recent releases being either infamous failures or forgotten almost entirely. Working our way backwards, Warner Bros. contributions to the video games industry over the past 5 or so years was as follows:
- 2024 – Batman: Arkham Shadows (A well-liked but ultimately niche VR exclusive)
- 2024 – Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (An underperforming multiplayer title with a middling reception)
- 2024 – MultiVersus (Famously killed twice by WB)
- 2024 – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (A $200 million loss)
- 2023 – Mortal Kombat 1 (a somewhat disappointing follow-up which saw its support end prematurely)
- 2023 – Hogwarts Legacy (The one true success story from WB)
- 2022 – Gotham Knights (A major step-back in gameplay and story compared to the Arkham games)
- 2022 – Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (A decent title, though viewed as being much shallower compared to other LEGO games)
- 2021 – Back 4 Blood (“We have Left4Dead at home”)
As is made quite clear in looking above, aside from Hogwarts Legacy, Warner Bros. games division has been struggling severely. That’s not even to mention the many cancelled titles over the same period of time, including but not limited to Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman title, an unannounced Flash game – alongside multiple high-profile studio closures.
All this is to say that WBD is currently in a terrible position; one which Sony may be looking to save them from. So, with the many failings of Warner Bros. Discovery being laid out clearly, an acquisition from the likes of Sony would not only make sense for them, but could ultimately benefit the industry as a whole.
One of the first things likely to be on Sony’s radar is WBD’s intellectual properties. Easily the most successful and long-lasting in this regard is DC – the cultural awareness of which is steeped in almost 100 years of history which reaches far beyond the video games industry itself.
We’ve seen the potential that DC games can have with the likes of the Arkham Trilogy, and we’ve seen what Sony can do with super heroes, owing to their on-going relationship with Marvel. Ever since Batman: Arkham Asylum took the world by storm back in 2009 we’ve seen nothing but the Dark Knight represent DC in video games – aside from InJustice and the aforementioned Suicide Squad (though the less said about the latter, the better).
As stated above, WB’s many studios have experimented with and pitched other non-Batman related titles, but they either never made it past the early stages, or in the case of Wonder Woman, was cancelled years after it was announced.
Of course, WB is more than just DC. In its own mind, the company is home to two other equally as important properties – those being Harry Potter and Mortal Kombat.
I despise JK Rowling as much as the next person, but there’s no denying that Harry Potter remains a hot property. You need look no further than Hogwarts Legacy for proof. While being a somewhat averagely received game, the Hogwarts Simulator has sold over 30 million copies since its launch in 2023 – being the only game other than Rockstar's releases to dethrone Call of Duty for the best-selling game of its release year.
Despite its overwhelming success, insiders would later claim that a planned expansion was cancelled by WB, around the same time that Wonder Woman was also canned. So even when they’re given a golden goose on a silver platter, WB somehow still manages to mess things up.
Speaking of messing things up, Mortal Kombat has for the past decade or so held a pretty consistent launch cadence. The game’s developers, NetherRealm would work on an MK game, release it and then, while supporting the title with post-launch content, concurrently work on an InJustice entry.
Following up from 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 however, the formula was ignored, with NRS skipping InJustice 3 and going straight to Mortal Kombat 12 1. Whether this was the decision of WB or NRS, the result was the same. Mortal Kombat 1 launched to decent reviews, with the game taking some positive steps when compared to MK11. That said, in not giving the series any time to breathe, MK1 suffered under the shadow of Mortal Kombat 11, especially as MK1’s failings could be directly compared to the previous entry.
And so, when the ‘Khaos Reigns’ expansion released, offering relatively little content for a surprisingly high price, fans had enough. Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat 1 ultimately ended on a whimper, with the game recently receiving its supposed final update. This is despite the fact that ahead of its release, MK1 was promised to be the longest supported NRS game yet. It’s safe to assume that WB had some part to play in its early termination.
Of course, these are just the three main IPs which WB likes to put focus on. Under a different company however, we could very well see much greater experimentation with other franchises including but not limited to The Matrix; F.E.A.R; Looney Tunes; Tom and Jerry – or at the very least we might get a DC game which stars someone other than Batman.
All that said, IPs are just that: Intellectual Properties. Without the talent to cultivate it, an IP is nothing more than a bunch of ideas which no one else is allowed to use. Despite how it may seem, WB owns/owned a range of talented studios…RIP Monolith Productions and Player First Games. Even without these two teams however, WB still has a hold on many studios which could thrive under new leadership.
First up, you’ve got Rocksteady, who prior to Suicide Squad had an almost spotless track record. Right underneath them is WB Games Montreal – a studio which has shown a great deal of potential, only hampered by the limitations placed upon them by WB (turning them into the Batman franchise’s B-Team). There’s Avalanche Software, makers of Hogwarts Legacy; TT Games – the connoisseurs of basically all the big LEGO video games. Last but not least, there’s NetherRealm of Mortal Kombat fame.
Each of these studios would fit quite neatly within PlayStation’s portfolio of teams. You’ve got the fighting game front covered with NRS; the more family-friendly segments can be handled by TT Games, and the rest of the studios align nicely with Sony’s whole 3rd-person action-adventure schtick.
Before going into my final point, I’d like to take some time to address the elephant in the room: The Nemesis System. First patented by WB back in 2016, the Nemesis System offers “Methods for managing non-player characters and power centers in a computer game are based on character hierarchies and individualized correspondences between each character's traits or rank and events that involve other non-player characters or objects.”
First unveiled to the world with 2014’s Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, the Nemesis system was lauded for its dynamism, engagement and potential. Unfortunately, it’s potential has yet to be realised, with WB using the system in but one other game: 2017’s Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
Just like Bandai’s loading screen patents before it, WB’s stranglehold on the Nemesis system has quite possibly held the industry back for the past decade. Imagine how many different open world games would benefit from having more memorable and engaging NPCs. Even in its most basic form, the Nemesis System took throwaway characters and made them feel important. That said, if studios were allowed to use the system, tweak it, customise it and make it their own, we could’ve seen countless innovations over the past decade. Sadly, we do not live in that timeline.
Though I would of course prefer that patents on core video game mechanics was not a thing at all, as it stands the system is absolutely wasted by WB. Under Sony, at least the system would get used. Personally, I’d love to see how the Nemesis System would be adapted for a game like Spider-Man 3 – seeing the various gangs of New York City vying for power.
The third and final major pillar in this potential deal would be WB’s non-gaming related assets, including their film and streaming divisions. Despite being one of the biggest film distribution companies around, Sony themselves do not have their own streaming service. Instead, the company has licensed out its films and shows to the likes of Netflix.
While a seemingly solid deal, having full access to and control over HBO MAX could put Sony in an advantageous position. Sony already has a strong relationship with HBO thanks to The Last of Us – assisting them in their transmedia efforts. Should this proposed deal go through, all past and future Sony/PlayStation productions could join the service.
While this is somewhat separate from WB’s gaming side, Sony could use the service to bolster its own portfolio. Instead of going to HBO for The Last of Us, Peacock for Twisted Metal, Amazon for God of War etc… all of Sony’s output could be made available in one place.
Considering the fact that the company plans to release countless different video game adaptations and projects (including but not limited to Gravity Rush; Helldivers; Horizon Zero Dawn and tons more) it would make sense for Sony to invest further in this aspect of the industry.
While all of this should of course be taken with a pinch of salt, there is no denying that Warner Bros. recent restructuring has split the company in a way which makes it perfect for an acquisition from Sony – whose own efforts align neatly with WBD’s.
With Player First Games and Monolith Productions being shut down, and a bunch of promising titles being cancelled unceremoniously, it feels as though it’s only a matter of time before Warner Bros. exits the video games industry entirely – leaving countless lay-offs and studio closures in its wake.
Before this inevitably comes to pass, I hope to see some company—any company save WB from its self-inflicted demise; and if that company is Sony, then so be it.
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KitGuru says: What do you think of Warner Bros. in 2025? Could the company recover by itself? If Sony were to acquire WB, what studios would you want to work on what properties? Let us know down below.
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KitGuru Games: Why Sony Buying Warner Bros. Would Make Perfect Sense first appeared on
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