Jason Schreier on Monolith Productions' Closure and Hogwarts Legacy Sequel

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier recently appeared on the Kinda Funny Games podcast to discuss the state of Warner Bros. Games. On February 25, the company shut down Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R., Middle-earth), shocking many fans.

According to Schreier, Monolith had been struggling for years. After the release of Middle-earth: Shadow of War in 2017, the studio attempted to create an original IP, but the project remained in limbo as leadership neither approved nor canceled it. Development was ultimately scrapped in 2021, leading to key staff departures.

The remaining team then shifted focus to a Wonder Woman game, but that, too, faced setbacks. The first iteration, which incorporated the Nemesis system, didn’t meet expectations, prompting a reboot in 2023. However, following the commercial failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Warner Bros. restructured its strategy, choosing to focus on just four franchises—Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones—while cutting everything else.

As for current projects, Rocksteady is reportedly gearing up for a new Batman game, while WB Montreal may develop a Game of Thrones title. Meanwhile, Avalanche Software is working on a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, which Schreier says will not be a live-service game—a relief for many fans.