The LEGO games have never been the most graphically robust or technically groundbreaking, but for almost two decades they've been one of the most consistent sources of family fun that gamers can flock to. Over the years, the franchise has built itself up on licensed properties and engaging, puzzle-based gameplay. It's a formula that's helped the LEGO games maintain a cult following, and although they may not be as commercially successful as an Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty title, they've been successful enough to allow for steady growth over the years.
For all of its success, however, the LEGO franchise now finds itself in an uncomfortable situation thanks to recent developments regarding Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. ATT, parent company to WarnerMedia and by extension WBIE, recently announced that it would be merging elements of WarnerMedia with Discovery in a deal that would primarily focus on cable and streaming entertainment. At the same time however, this means that WBIE will be disrupted in some way, and it could change the landscape of licensed gaming along with the LEGO franchise.
Understanding The WarnerMedia-Discovery Merger
Company mergers as a whole are not completely uncommon, but the scale of what ATT is doing with WarnerMedia and Discovery is truly remarkable. At its core, the deal is essentially combining Discovery, one of the biggest cable-based entertainment companies in the world, with WarnerMedia, which is also just as massive and is spread across film, television, and print. The main idea is to make one big company that can take on entertainment giants such as Disney and Netflix. It's an ambitious move that could help ATT consolidate its financial efforts, but it's likely that not everyone will come out of this merger unscathed.
One of the most overlooked aspects of this merger appears to be Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which ATT has reportedly said will be sold off in some capacity as a result of the merger. With how focused the merger has been on streaming media content, the video game industry appears to have been overlooked. It hasn't been made official which studios will stay and which ones will be sold off, but considering how the LEGO games usually are developed, the course of the franchise as fans know it could be completely altered.
The Worst-Case Scenario For The LEGO Franchise
As far as where the LEGO franchise could go from here, there's really only room for speculation. It already looks like the merger isn't very interested in the gaming branch of WarnerMedia, so whatever studios do make it to the new company, it will likely only be interested in the biggest moneymakers. If Traveller's Tales Games happens to be one of those studios, then it may have a hard time making a case for itself.
Its biggest issue could come from the fact that the LEGO franchise doesn't explicitly work with Warner IPs. In fact, some of the LEGO franchise's most popular entries come from Disney-owned properties, and this could be a big issue considering how focused this merger is on competing with the company.
Even if the studio ends up staying with ATT in some capacity, current and future LEGO projects could be halted while the finer details of the merger are worked out. Fans of the franchise have already become far too familiar with delays for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and if it turns out that this merger could hinder the game's general development timetable, then it could be delayed even more. Not only would this be a worst-case scenario for fans looking forward to the game, but it probably wouldn't make a great case for Traveller's Tales Games if it couldn't deliver its biggest project.
The Best-Case Scenario For The LEGO Franchise
Although there's absolutely some room for concern with this merger, it could very well turn out to be a good thing for TT Games and the LEGO franchise. If it turns out that the studio will be going to this new merger, there's always a chance that it will be business as usual. As was previously mentioned, the LEGO franchise has adapted properties outside of WarnerMedia's own IPs. If this was okay before, then it could get a pass with this new merger as well. Whether it's viewed as a negligible risk or a genuine investment, it's entirely possible that TT Games will just continue like nothing changed.
If gamers want to get even more optimistic, this merger could be seen as a fantastic opportunity for the LEGO franchise. If it turns out that this merger is a success and makes this new company or ATT a lot more money, there could be some additional investment in their respective gaming branches. No matter where Traveller's Tales ends up, it could receive more funding to make its LEGO games even bigger than LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga plans to be. This may be wishful thinking, but it's entirely possible if either company decides to invest more in the video game industry.
The ATT WarnerMedia-Discovery merger is so fresh that it's really hard to say what will end up where when all is said and done. The focus may primarily be on streaming and cable entertainment, but the video game properties at play are still important sources of profit. The LEGO franchise may be at the lower end of those profits compared to bigger AAA games, but they're an important part of the industry nonetheless. Until more news comes out, hopefully TT Games will still be able to put out nostalgia-filled titles for the foreseeable future.