Netflix has formally announced its intension to purchase Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion and the big purchase, should it make it to completion, is set to include some incredibly high profile gaming studios and publishers included in the WB Games division.
Which video game developers and publishers are owned by Warner bros.?
Portkey Games
Portkey Games is a publisher that is in charge of managing all the Warner Bros. Harry Potter universe games. The highest profile releases from the publisher include the heavily Pokemon GO-inspired Wizards Unite and 2023’s Hogwarts Legacy.
Avalanche Software
Speaking of Hogwarts Legacy, the massively successful hit was developed by Avalanche Software and the studio is already supposed to be hard at work on a sequel to the best-selling title.
NetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios has been under Warner Bros. ownership since around 2010 and, since that time, the studio has been responsible for some very popular fighting games. NetherRealm Studios leads the development of the Mortal Kombat franchise and the Injustice series.
Rocksteady Studios
Although Rocksteady Studios’ most recent release, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, wasn’t met with very positive reviews, the studio is responsible for the critically-acclaimed Batman Arkham franchise.
TT Games/Traveller’s Tales
TT Games has released tons of content over the years, but many gamers are likely most familiar with the logo from the long line of Traveller’s Tales developed LEGO games. The next game being released by this team is 2026’s LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
Warner Bros. Games (Boston, Montreal, New York, and San Francisco teams)
In addition to the other publishers and development studios, Warner Bros. also has a series development offices throughout the United States that have contributed to iconic franchises and projects. Warner Bros. Montreal is likely the most famous of the offices, thanks to its work on Gotham Knights and Arkham Origins.
What is the Netflix/Warner Bros. Acquisition timeline?
Gamers who followed the year-long saga of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard should be familiar with how many hurdles there are in a purchase of this size. The deal will need to be approved by regulatory boards and, if all goes smoothly, the purchase will still take the better part of 2026 to come to completion. During that time, it will be very interesting to track the progress and announcements surrounding the projects that are already in the works at the publishers and development studios mentioned above.
Although Warner Bros. Games division has had some major hits in the last few years, this branch of the company has also struggled a bit. The recent closures of both Monolith Productions and Player First Games and the cancellation of high profile projects at those studios (Wonder Woman and MultiVersus) signal struggles and budget concerns behind the scenes at Warner Bros.
Although it’s unlikely that video games are the driving motivation behind the acquisition by Netflix, it’s undeniable that the company is walking away with some major talent, franchises, and IP when the ink dries. It will be very interesting to see what Netflix does with these teams and how the acquisition may influence the future of Netflix Games.
Will the company lean into AAA game development and the traditional release schedule and pricing structure or is there a chance that gamers will need to have an active Netflix subscription to play games like Hogwarts Legacy 2 or the next Mortal Kombat? Moreover, beyond the games WB is already working on or likely will work on, purchasing multiple studios gives Netflix the opportunity to put AAA games of their own IPs into development, like Stranger Things. The industry will have to wait and see what strategy Netflix leans into.
The post What Netflix’s Acquisition of Warner Bros. Could Mean for WB Games appeared first on VICE.
