Summary
- Warner Bros. Games creates new divisions focused on Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC franchises.
- Studio heads Yves Lachance and Shaun Himmerick were promoted to oversee these divisions.
- Restructuring aims to optimise long-term franchise roadmaps without layoffs.
Warner Bros. Games Restructures Around Key Franchises
Warner Bros. Games has announced a major restructuring (via Variety), organising its operations into divisions centred on its biggest IPs: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and the DC Universe. This move follows the company’s November 2024 decision to prioritise these franchises more heavily.
Yves Lachance, head of Warner Bros. Games Montréal, has been promoted to senior vice president, development, overseeing Harry Potter and Game of Thrones games. Shaun Himmerick, head of NetherRealm Studios, has been promoted to senior vice president of development for Mortal Kombat and DC titles.
Additionally, Steven Flenory, studio head in New York, has been elevated to senior vice president of central tech and services, managing technology, quality assurance, and user research.
These executives report to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO JB Perrette, who emphasised the company’s goal to create long-term franchise roadmaps to deliver the best games for fans.
Future Outlook of Warner Bros
The restructuring comes amid a challenging year for Warner Bros. Games, marked by commercial failures like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and studio closures, but also successes such as Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1.
Despite these challenges, the company assures that no layoffs occurred during this reorganisation. The changes aim to strengthen franchise focus and development pipelines as Warner Bros. Games looks to future projects, including mobile RPGs and new console releases.
