David Haddad, president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is stepping down after leading the Warner Bros. Games division for 12 years. He will remain with the company for the next three months to support the leadership transition as Warner Bros. Discovery seeks his replacement. JB Perrette, CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games confirmed the decision and highlighted Haddad’s deliberate timing, which was designed to minimize disruptions during a quieter period in the company’s release schedule.
“David has thoughtfully and purposefully chosen a time when our release schedule is lighter, which will help minimize disruption to our ongoing projects and strategic plans and allow this team to prepare for its next record-breaking title smoothly,” Perrette said.
A town hall meeting, led by Perrette and Haddad, is set for Thursday to brief the WB Games team on the transition and next steps. Sources close to the company indicated there are no plans to sell the games division, with efforts focused on filling Haddad’s role and maintaining the division’s current operations.
Haddad’s departure comes after a challenging period for Warner Bros. Discovery’s gaming sector. While 2023’s Hogwarts Legacy was a significant commercial success, the 2024 release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League struggled to meet expectations. These mixed results have influenced Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic shift toward live service and mobile games, which offer ongoing revenue opportunities, and away from high-budget AAA titles that require extensive development time. The company intends to prioritize projects tied to its key franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, and Mortal Kombat.
Reflecting on his achievements, Haddad expressed gratitude and optimism for the future. “I am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together at Warner Bros. Games during my time with the company. It has been an absolute pleasure working on and building our iconic gaming franchises, and I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of this talented team’s future endeavors. I look forward to working on the next chapter of my career and will always be grateful for my time with Warner Bros. Games.”
Under Haddad’s leadership, Warner Bros. Games established itself as a major player in the industry, producing successful titles across various platforms and genres. The division has consistently leveraged its extensive portfolio of intellectual properties to create games that resonate with a global audience, setting the stage for continued success as it transitions to new leadership.