Warner Bros. Discovery, the new media giant formed by the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, has announced that it will be retiring over 20 games published by Adult Swim Games from various digital platforms. The decision has left many developers and fans disappointed and confused, as some of the games have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
What are Adult Swim Games?
Adult Swim Games was a division of Adult Swim, the late-night programming block of Cartoon Network. It was launched in 2005 as a website that hosted flash games based on Adult Swim shows, such as Robot Chicken and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Later, it expanded to publish original games for PC, consoles, and mobile devices, such as Jazzpunk, Duck Game, and Rain World. Adult Swim Games was known for its quirky, experimental, and often humorous titles that appealed to a niche audience.
Why are the games being delisted?
According to emails sent by Warner Bros. Discovery to the affected developers, the reason for the games’ removal is “internal business changes”, with no further explanation given. Some speculate that the move is related to the recent merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, which created a new entity that owns a vast portfolio of media properties, including HBO, CNN, DC Comics, Discovery Channel, and more. The merger also resulted in the dissolution of Adult Swim Games as a separate entity, as it was absorbed into Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Which games are affected?
The list of games that will be delisted from online stores within 60 days includes:
- Small Radios Big Televisions
- Fist Puncher
- Soundodger+
- Super House of Dead Ninjas
- Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe
- Volgarr the Viking
- Westerado: Double Barreled
- Headlander
- Death’s Gambit
- Battle Chef Brigade
- Duck Game
- Kingsway
- Rain World
- Rise & Shine
- Pool Panic
- Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
- Katana Zero
- Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time
- Neon Abyss
- Monster Prom
Some of these games have been available for free or at discounted prices on platforms like Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, as a way to give them a final farewell. However, some developers have expressed their frustration and sadness over the situation, as they have invested a lot of time and effort into creating and supporting their games.
What are the options for the developers and the players?
Some developers have been able to negotiate with Warner Bros. Discovery to retain the rights to their games and republish them under their own accounts, as long as they remove any references to Adult Swim Games from the game and its marketing materials. For example, Studio Bean, the developer of Soundodger+, has announced that they will be able to re-release their game on Steam after it gets delisted. However, not all developers have been so lucky, as some have been denied the request to transfer the ownership of their games. For instance, Team2Bit, the developer of Fist Puncher, has stated that Warner Bros. Discovery has made a “universal decision” not to transfer the games back to the original studios and does not have the resources to do so.
For the players, the games will remain playable if they have already purchased or downloaded them before they get delisted. However, they will not be able to buy or download them again after they are removed from the online stores. This means that some of the games may become rare and inaccessible in the future, unless the developers manage to re-release them or distribute them through other means.
What is the future of Adult Swim Games?
The fate of Adult Swim Games is uncertain, as Warner Bros. Discovery has not made any official statement about its plans for the brand or its remaining titles. Some of the games that are not affected by the delisting include:
- Jazzpunk
- Robot Unicorn Attack
- Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
- Accounting+
- Trover Saves the Universe
It is possible that Warner Bros. Discovery may continue to support and publish these and other games under the Adult Swim Games label, or it may rebrand them or integrate them into its other gaming divisions. Alternatively, it may decide to discontinue the Adult Swim Games brand altogether and focus on its other media properties. Whatever the case, the delisting of over 20 games marks the end of an era for Adult Swim Games and its fans, who will miss the unique and creative games that it has brought to the gaming industry.
