David Haddad, the long-time president of Warner Bros. Games, is stepping down from his role following a rocky launch for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game, released in 2024, struggled to secure a loyal player base and faced substantial criticism regarding its gameplay and live service aspects.
In recent years, WB Games has seen its standing with fans slip due to several underwhelming releases. Alongside Suicide Squad, MultiVersus, a free-to-play fighting game, didn’t meet expectations either, with players unhappy about its monetization and absence of offline play. Although Hogwarts Legacy saw great success at the end of 2023, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions failed to leave a mark when it came out in September 2024, with players expressing disappointment over its unimpressive graphics and repetitive nature.
Reports from Variety confirm that David Haddad, who has been at the helm of WB Games for 12 years, will be exiting the company. Haddad expressed his pride in what the company has achieved during his tenure and assures he’ll remain a strong supporter of the talented team behind Warner Bros. Games. He will stay on for three months while a successor is found. In a recent financial briefing, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, acknowledged WB Games was underperforming and revealed plans to concentrate more on a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy and other DC projects.
In December 2024, it was revealed that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would receive its final content update in January 2025, signaling the termination of its live service. The game’s faltering debut surprised many, given that it was crafted by Rocksteady, the studio renowned for the acclaimed Batman: Arkham series. The negative reception led to layoffs at Rocksteady in September 2024, with poor sales cited as a primary factor. Warner Bros. reported an astounding $200 million loss on the game and noted a 41% decrease in year-over-year revenue in May 2024 as a result of its performance.
Looking ahead, the future for WB Games remains somewhat uncertain. However, the much-anticipated sequel to Hogwarts Legacy could potentially restore player trust and revitalize revenue streams. There’s also excitement brewing for the release of the new Wonder Woman game, although a developer involved mentions it won’t be ready until at least 2026 as development started later than announced.
