Indie game developers who published games under the label of Adult Swim Games are under threat of being delisted by Adult Swim’s parent company, Warner Bros. According to reports, some game developers received a warning from the company that their games would be removed from Steam and other digital console stores in the coming days. Fans are now calling Warner Bros. the worst company ever after they refused to transfer ownership to the developers on Steam.
Adult Swim Games is the video game publishing division of the Adult Swim brand of Cartoon Network. The division is known for its association with indie developers to produce games that were praised by critics for their originality and quality.
Fans Are Angry At Warner Bros. After Their Latest Move With Adult Swim Games
David Zaslav-led Warner Bros. Discovery comes under fire once again. The company is informing indie game developers, who published under Adult Swim Games, that their games are being delisted and erased from Steam and other digital console stores. According to the report published by Polygon, at least three were informed about their games being removed, and another 17+ games would face the same fate.
Owen Reedy, the developer of the puzzle-adventure game Small Radios Big Televisions, was informed that his game was being retired by Warner Bros (via X). In response, the indie developer made a Windows PC version of the game and made it free to download from his site. Another developer, Michael Molinari, has a different story to tell, which would make fans even angrier at the company.
Molinari shared that Warner Bros. informed him about removing his game, Soundodger+, from Steam. When he asked a WB rep to transfer ownership through Steam’s transfer page, the rep rejected his request. They informed Molinari that the team at Adult Swim Games is at “limited capacity” and has “logistical and resource constraints” to transfer ownership. Molinari shared with Polygon:
“I don’t know if they’re delisting it or deleting it. I pleaded with the rep to transfer ownership to my company, as I still retain all IP and game rights. I sent him a link to Steam’s transfer page and explained clearly that it takes literally three clicks to transfer ownership to me. He rejected my request.”
Fans were clearly angered by the irresponsibility shown by the company towards the indie developers who trusted them. Few fans called the company the “worst” ever, while some called for removing David Zaslav from the top brass. One fan also expressed that Discovery was the worst thing that happened to WB and Adult Swim. Some fan reactions read:
Warner Bros is honestly the worst company ever pic.twitter.com/9H1stel1Zs
— 𝒮𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘦 🏳️⚧️ ★ ʀᴇʙᴇʟ ᴍᴏᴏɴ (@SnyderQueen_) March 9, 2024
Name me a worse company than Warner Bros
— Seidsan (@sidepictures) March 9, 2024
Can we start a petition to remove David Zaslav or something 😭 this is crazy
— 🍉 minny | art acc! (@minnybox) March 9, 2024
discovery is the worst thing that ever happened to WB, CN, and adult swim.
— Michael Kentrell Brown 💚ﾒ𝟶 (@breezybetter07) March 9, 2024
how does this company ruin everything they own
— Macy (@MacyPompompurin) March 9, 2024
Warner Bros woke up one day and decided to be the worst gaming company there is
Like, tf happened
— Hat Man 🇬🇪 (@Breakinnger) March 9, 2024
Warner Bros. is clearly not working towards improving its reputation with fans. The conglomerate came under scrutiny for the reported canceling and shelving of numerous film and TV projects previously. The most famous of these include the shelving of Bat Girl, which had completed production, and the currently unclear state of Coyote vs. Acme. The studio also removed several series from its streaming services.
What Are the Options Available to the Indie Developers?
Michael Molinari shared that Warner Bros. Discovery informed him that he could republish the game on Steam under his account. However, Molinari shared that doing so would erase all “wishlists, reviews, community guides, and forum discussions” that happened over a decade. He would also have to comply with certain legal requirements like removing any mention of Adult Swim Games. Even the credit sequence has to be changed to remove the names of the Adult Swim team.
Matt Lewandowski, the developer of Fist Puncher, also got the call from WB. He was also informed that the ownership could not be transferred. Lewandowski shared that the original Adult Swim team was passionate about “elevating interesting and unique games from small studios.” He plans to re-release the game, but “hates to see any game get lost to corporate red tape.”
Many other developers who still await the call from WB are confused about the fate of their games. Warner Bros. is yet to make a comment on the new Adult Swim Games debacle.
