In a message that is sure to help the studio rebuild its reputation after its recent one Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League– and failures related to the live service, Warner Bros. Games has officially launched a new program for women and non-binary leadership with the planned goal of “rehabilitating” the “male-dominated” image of the entire video game industry.
RELATED: Warner Bros. Discovery admits it took a $200 million loss on ‘Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’
Revealed to the public courtesy of Built In contributor Brigid Hogan on May 22 after completing its “inaugural six-month run,” the leadership program has reportedly “engaged 25 women and non-binary leaders from all 11 Warner Bros. global studios. Games and global publishing and core teams” with the goal of “cultivating career opportunities for underrepresented individuals in the games industry, elevating diverse voices to leadership roles and shaping a more inclusive future for the industry.”
“Warner Bros. Games, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, launched a program for women and non-binary leaders to reverse the male-dominated nature of the gaming industry,” Hogan said. “At the heart of the program’s success is its emphasis on community building and self-reflection. Through a combination of structured workshops and candid conversations, participants found a safe place to share experiences and support each other. In addition to professional growth, the program sparked personal revelations, leading participants to prioritize self-care and embrace opportunities for continuous learning.”
In discussing this new leadership program, Hogan reached out to three women in attendance at the first official event for their thoughts on its offerings and effectiveness.
“If you’re resistant to a program like this, maybe consider it from a self-service standpoint,” said Jesyca Durchin, senior producer for The WB’s upcoming games. Wonder Woman title. “Because of the people I met and the way the program was organized, I found myself feeling better every day. It was a solo concern to learn something new. Even something as simple as finding out that I can access Linkedin Learning through my company membership has helped me grow and find new outlets that are both good for me and help me feel good.”
RELATED: Warner Bros. DEI CEO Discovery condones discrimination against employees who disagree with DEI’s ideology: “They’ll quit on their own, which is great”
Similarly, senior PR and influencer manager Ruby Rumen stated, “The value you get from the group’s shared experiences helps you know you’re not alone.”
“Having that support outside of your immediate team is so helpful,” she added. “Now that I’ve witnessed and experienced it myself, I really encourage others to look for the same, because it really improved my work life at WB Games. I ended up getting a lot more than I could have imagined when I started.”
Echoing her colleagues’ praise, Senior Director of Business Development and Licensing Kelly K. Hill recalls, “I came into gaming full-time after a career in licensing spaces where women were the majority. I already had the feeling that it was important for me to show up and be an example that people like me can and should have a place at the table. The program reaffirmed my commitment to bring more diversity to the industry and do what I can to allow people to see an alternative to what they might imagine as a game director.”
“There are challenges that women and non-binary people face – in the games industry as well as in other industries – that are unique but also shared, so we had the opportunity to realize that even though our roles were completely different , we may still face some of the same challenges,” said Hill to Hogan. “Getting different perspectives from people who are at different places in their journey was really valuable as we were able to share personal experiences that offered insights to pass on to people facing these challenges now.”
At the time of writing, it is currently unknown which specific game developers Warner Bros. attended the leadership program, nor from which specific divisions of the company they came from.
Additionally, the program’s curriculum or even its summary has not yet been detailed to the public.
NEXT: Warner Bros. Games will ditch standard editions in favor of “More always in-game through live services, multi-platform and free-to-play expansions”
More about: Uncategorized
