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Warner Bros. Games to have 'heavy focus' on live service titles

A Warner Bros. Games job listing indicates a strong emphasis on live survice games in the future.

Donovan Erskine

January 26, 2021 9:25 AM

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Warner Bros. Games made a big splash last year during DC FanDome when it revealed Gotham Knights, the next chapter in the Arkham universe. The studio has been fairly quiet since then, but we’ve now got clues as to what could be coming down the road. A job listing on Warner Bros. website states that the studio will have a “heavy focus” on live service games in the future.

Originally spotted by Twitter user @MauroNL3, a job listing for an MBA Intern was recently posted to the company’s website. Underneath all of the expected language in your average job posting, is a statement that may shed light on WB Games’ future plans. “WBIE is currently involved in a variety of new projects, ranging from casual games to core games featuring our well-known franchises on all platforms (console, digital, mobile) with a heavy focus on live service.”

Now, we already had an idea that Warner Bros. Games would be dipping its toes into the live service field, as that seems to be the direction the recently announced Gotham Knights is heading. That said, the developer did state that Gotham Knights won't be a typical grindy game-as-service. With the gameplay showcased last year, it still looks like Gotham Knights will feature staples of a live service game. The language used in the job listing would imply more live service games to come down the road. This could mean more titles similar to Gotham Knights in the DC universe, or games based on other properties. With titles like Destiny 2, Warframe, and Rainbow Six Siege thriving off of the live service model, it comes as no surprise that more studios are looking to get an evergreen game of their own.

Of course, this news may be a bit concerning to those looking for a more traditional experience in their AAA games. Last year, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix rolled out Marvel’s Avengers, and while the game’s campaign was heralded for its original story, the game was heavily criticized for its live-service components.

No future projects have been announced by Warner Bros. Games outside of Gotham Knights, so time will tell if the studio does indeed plan to focus on more live service titles. For more on WB Games, stay right here on Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_