Ever since Hogwarts Legacy captured the hearts of gamers in early 2023, Warner Bros. Games hasn’t had much else to raise a toast to. Sure, Mortal Kombat 1 has held its ground, showcasing some spectacular and brutal brawling action. But alongside this modest hit, they’ve been contending with the lukewarm relaunch of Multiversus and, more notably, the infamous flop of Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League. Now, WB Games’ leading executive, David Haddad, is packing his bags and heading out.
Reviewing Haddad’s tenure as president over the last decade, it’s clear he’s overseen some solid titles. Batman Arkham Asylum, Injustice 2, and two of the standout Mortal Kombat entries, MK11 and the most recent MK1, come to mind. While Hogwarts Legacy might not have been a critics’ darling, it earned its place as one of WB’s most significant successes. However, these successes are overshadowed by some very noticeable failures. Despite Rocksteady’s reputation for top-tier single-player experiences, the studio pivoted to the ill-received live service game Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League, which ended up curtailing new content within just a year of its release.
Even with strong fighting titles in WB’s lineup, Multiversus, which initially had a promising IP mash-up concept, hasn’t quite hit the mark. While it initially saw a massive wave of players during its early access launch and subsequent relaunch, keeping those players engaged has been a challenge.
Now, as Haddad prepares to leave his post, he shares his thoughts with Variety: “It’s been a true honor to work on and shape our iconic gaming franchises. I’ll always be a big fan of this talented team’s future work,” he says. “I’m excited to start the next phase of my career and am truly thankful for my time at Warner Bros. Games.”
Haddad isn’t stepping out the door immediately; he’ll stay on for another three months to assist in finding and onboarding his successor.
Looking ahead, unless Warner Bros. has some secret projects lined up for release soon, their future gaming slate seems rather sparse. It’s a concern even acknowledged by another executive who bid farewell to Haddad.
“David has chosen this time thoughtfully, when our release lineup is lighter, to help minimize disruption to our ongoing projects and strategize for future hits,” says JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games CEO and president.
Warner Bros. has expressed that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is high on their list of priorities, indicating that we’ll see it eventually, though it might be a few years off. Outside of that, we also know about the Wonder Woman project by Middle-earth developers Monolith, but updates on that have been scant since its announcement back in 2021.
For a peek at what might be on the gaming horizon, check out our guide on upcoming PC games. Or, if you’re interested in co-op games that’ve fared better than Suicide Squad, we’ve got you covered there too.
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