Warner Bros. is apparently deciding on whether they want to auction off their gaming division, WB Games. The publisher is known for holding IPs like the Lego games, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and many more. With that said, there are a number of notable suitors trying to acquire the company.
According to The Information (via Geoff Keighley), companies like Microsoft, Take-Two (2K Games, Rockstar Games), EA, and Activision are all interested in WB Games. Warner Bros. hasn’t decided anything yet so no deal is imminent but its in consideration to help pay off their $154 billion debt following things like the 2018 purchase of Time Warner.
CNBC first reported this news last month, claiming Take-Two, Ea, and Activision were throwing in offers that could range up to $4 billion. The Information’s new article claims Microsoft has entered the fold but doesn’t know what their price tag would be.
This is likely a story that will continue to develop over the next couple of months but WB Games would be valuable for any of these companies should a deal be inked. Microsoft is routinely criticized for their lack of worthwhile first-party titles and with Sony having their hands on Spider-Man, what better way to compete than to have not just Batman but the entire DC roster under their belt. Xbox would have exclusive access to Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and the entire Justice League.
It’s hard to say if Microsoft can pull it off, though. While known for making big purchases under the Xbox banner, Microsoft recently sold off their streaming platform, Mixer, to Facebook and the company is reportedly doing some restructuring.
EA, while heavily criticized for their business dealings, has a lot of talent that could be used to work on these great IP. Activision only publishes a handful of games, notably Call of Duty, so some new variety in their offerings would definitely prove successful for them.
Take-Two also has a hell of a lot of talent. Hanger 13 (Mafia), the mystery 2K teams working on games like Bioshock, and Rockstar Games. While Rockstar is unlikely to dabble in WB Games’ IP, it would be a fascinating experiment to watch.
WB Games was rumored to have an E3 press conference this summer before being scrapped due to coronavirus. The show would’ve included new looks at the new Batman game from WB Montreal, a new Harry Potter game, and more. It’s still unclear if WB Games will be showing these titles this summer in another showcase.
