David Haddad, the man who has led Warner Bros. Games as president for over a decade, is stepping down from his role after the less-than-stellar release of “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.” The game launched in 2024, but sadly, it didn’t quite hit the mark with gamers. Aiming to capture a devoted audience, the title faced criticism mainly for its gameplay mechanics and live service model.
Over the last year, WB Games’ reputation has taken a hit among its fanbase, fueled by a succession of poorly received game releases. Aside from “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,” the buzz around “MultiVersus,” a free-to-play fighting game, fizzled out quickly. Gamers were unhappy with how the game tried to monetize itself and bemoaned its lack of offline modes. Despite the blockbuster success of “Hogwarts Legacy” in late 2023, “Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions,” which came out in September 2024, struggled to impress—largely due to its underwhelming visuals and repetitive gameplay.
Variety reports that Haddad is set to leave after 12 years at the helm of WB Games. Reflecting on his time, Haddad shared, “I am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together at Warner Bros. Games during my time with the company.” He’ll remain with the company for a few more months while they search for his successor. David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, mentioned during a financial briefing that the gaming division hasn’t been performing up to expectations. Moving forward, the focus seems to be on doubling down on both the “Hogwarts Legacy” sequel and the various DC titles in development.
In December 2024, it was announced that “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” would see its final piece of new content rolled out by January 2025, marking the close of its live service chapter. Many fans were caught off guard by the game’s rocky start, especially since it was crafted by Rocksteady—the same team celebrated for the Batman: Arkham series. Unfortunately, the critical and commercial letdown even resulted in layoffs within Rocksteady in September 2024. The game’s lackluster performance was a direct reason cited, with Warner Bros. disclosing a staggering $200 million loss and a jaw-dropping 41% drop in year-over-year revenue.
Looking ahead, WB Games faces an uncertain path. However, the planned sequel to “Hogwarts Legacy” might just revitalize player trust and bring in the financial uptick the company desperately needs. Fans are also eagerly anticipating the upcoming Wonder Woman game, but word from the development team suggests that it won’t arrive before 2026. The project was announced before development officially commenced, which accounts for the current dearth of updates.
In “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,” players step into the shoes of some of DC’s most notorious villains. Set in an expansive open-world version of Metropolis, the game features intense action sequences where the Suicide Squad is pitted against the Justice League. Each character offers unique abilities and weapons, providing players with varied strategies to overcome the alien threat and prevent the explosive implants in their heads from detonating.
Overall, while the road has been bumpy recently, there seems to be cautious optimism surrounding WB Games’ future, bolstered by potential hits that could turn the tide back in its favor.
