Paramount Games Studio and Warner Bros. Games will merge into one unit under Skydance overseen by Tony Driscoll.
Earlier today, Paramount completed its $111 billion acquisition of WBD, resulting in both companies operating under the name Skydance.
The initial announcement did not refer to its video game divisions. However, in a memo obtained by Variety, Skydance president Andy Gordon announced that Paramount and WBD’s games and experiences divisions will merge to oversee projects based on both companies’ IP.
Driscoll, president of Paramount Games Studio, will also lead games and experiences, in addition to heading corporate strategy and development at Skydance.
“We’re investing in our future growth engines alongside our core ambitions in TV, Film and direct-to-consumer: Games, Experiences, Consumer Products, and Publishing,” said Gordon.
“These are core pillars of our strategy to build engagement and fandom in both the physical and digital worlds. We want to meet consumers where they watch, play, and engage. At the same time, we see opportunities to build on DC Comics’ storytelling and expand our e-commerce offerings to connect fans with the brands they love.”
Paramount Games Studio was established this summer and is led by EVP and head of games Dan Prigg. The studio combines Paramount’s IP with Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media.
“Paramount, prior to the merger, was just licensing,” Prigg told GamesIndustry.biz. “They weren’t doing any internal development. They weren’t really doing much in terms of co-development and publishing. Skydance had a couple of studios, and we had licensing on our own.”
It was concluded that “one division can help control the slate, help with the brands, [and] really build the communities.”
As part of the merger, Josh Silverman has been appointed president of global products and publishing. Jim Sterner will remain chief people officer, and Jose Turkienicz will continue as president of global operations.
In the initial announcement, Skydance CEO David Ellison stated that the merger will require the company to make “difficult decisions,” including “changes and impacts.”
“Bringing together two companies of this size and complexity will require difficult decisions. There will be changes, and there will be impacts. I’m not going to pretend otherwise,” said Ellison.
“What I can promise you is that we will move through those decisions as quickly and thoughtfully as we can. We will communicate directly. We will tell you what we know when we know it. And we will not allow a prolonged integration process to distract us from the reason we brought these companies together in the first place: which is to build the next-generation media and entertainment company.”