Upcoming Warner Bros. games will apparently have a ‘heavy focus’ on live service

Upcoming Warner Bros. projects Interactive Entertainment, including core games in major franchises, will be “heavily focused on live service,” according to an internship announcement from the company. Twitter user MauroNL3, an advertisement for an MBA game production intern includes a section that reads: “WBIE is currently involved in a variety of new projects, from casual games to base games featuring our well-known franchises on all platforms (console, digital, mobile) with a strong emphasis on live service. “

Live service refers to the process of continuously updating a game after release to keep players engaged, adding new features, items, storylines, and more – and has become a model more and more. profitable for developers and publishers in the industry. It’s not without controversy, however, with high-profile versions like BioWare’s Anthem with particularly low content, and Marvel’s Avengers failed to recoup its costs after failing to woo its audiences at launch.

No details are given, but we can probably assume that the upcoming Back 4 Blood will include elements of live service, given its modular, online nature. Likewise, all future WB-owned Mortal Kombat and Injustice games from NetherRealm would likely incorporate elements of live service, as they have in recent iterations.

What is less clear is what other announced WBIE games might include similar ideas, and to what extent. The publisher is currently working on Hogwarts Legacy, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, none of which have externally advertised living elements.

WB Montreal’s upcoming Gotham Knights apparently won’t be part of that push – its developers previously told IGN it was “a lot. do not designed as a game as a service ”, and will tell a stand-alone story, rather than an evolving narrative.

We reached out to WBIE for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of posting.

Not long ago, we were debating the future of WBIE as a whole, until parent company AT&T announced it was no longer looking to sell the business, after judging it “too much. Precious to be unloaded “.

Joe Skrebels is IGN’s News Editor. Follow him on Twitter. Any advice to give us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].