Suicide Squad Disappoints Yet Warner Bros. Remains Committed To Live Service Games Like Hogwarts Legacy

During a Morgan Stanley event held on March 4, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (NASDAQ: WBD) CEO and President of Streaming and Games J.B. Perrette discussed the company’s strategy, IGN reported.

“That’s a great business when you have a hit like (Hogwarts Legacy). It makes the year look amazing,” the CEO said. “Unfortunately, we also have disappointments — we just released Suicide Squad this quarter, which was not as strong. It just makes it very volatile.”

Moving forward, Warner Bros. aims to expand its presence in mobile and multiplatform free-to-play games, leveraging its major franchises like Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC.

Perrette emphasized: “Within the studio segment, we’re doubling down on games as an area where we think there is a lot more growth opportunity that we can tap into with the IP that we have and some of the capabilities on the studio side, where we’re uniquely positioned as both a publisher and a developer of games.”

The company plans to release more mobile free-to-play titles this year and anticipates the impact of its efforts to be visible between 2025 and 2027.

“Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service where people can live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?,” Perrette stated.

Warner Bros. aims to create consistent revenue streams through its billion-dollar intellectual properties, striving for “meaningful growth” in games over the next few years.