A new report by The Information reveals that Microsoft is one of many interested in buying Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and its games. This means that franchises such as the Batman: Arkham series, Middle-Earth, Mortal Kombat, and more could become Xbox exclusives later down the line. Nothing is imminent at the moment. Microsoft joins Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive as potential buyers. The deal is reported to be worth $4 billion. The big issue that’s holding up any deal going through besides the asking price is the $154 billion debt that AT&T, WB Games’ parent company is trying to figure out how to deal with. The debt comes from AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, now known as WarnerMedia in 2018. This includes companies such as Crunchyroll, DC Comics, HBO, WB Games, and more.
Whatever happens, whoever invests in WB Games and their portfolio will have three potential studios with something in development. If nothing happens, it’s possible that these games won’t see the light of day. Recently, it was confirmed that Rocksteady Studios’ next game is focused on the Suicide Squad. WB Montreal has yet to officially reveal the next Batman game possibly called Gotham Knights even though they have teased an announcement before. Both of these games are looking to be officially revealed in August during the DC Fandome Event. Another game in development includes Avalanche Studios’ Harry Potter RPG that was recently confirmed to be a game in development following a gameplay leak. All three games could be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
In other Microsoft related news, the company just officially revealed the date for the big Xbox Games Studios showcase. The showcase will share first looks at some of Xbox’s first-party studio’s upcoming games and will take place on July 23 at 9 AM PT. Microsoft is also part of the Summer Game Fest Demo Event where 75-100 upcoming independent games are available to for a week on Xbox. The event will run from July 21-27. Microsoft could also reveal the Xbox Series S, a cheaper alternative to Xbox Series X in August.