Warner Bros. Discovery has reversed its initial decision to delist over a dozen games published under its Adult Swim Games label from Steam and digital console platforms. The company now plans to transfer ownership of several of these games back to the independent developers who originally created them, according to statements from developers affected by the earlier delisting announcement.
The initial plan to “retire” the Adult Swim Games catalog, made public in March, faced widespread condemnation for potentially rendering some indie games unavailable for purchase. This criticism seems to have influenced Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to amend its strategy and return the game rights to their original creators.
Developer Owen Deery, the creator of the puzzle-adventure game Small Radios Big Televisions, first disclosed the policy reversal. Originally published by Adult Swim Games in 2016, Deery’s game was among those slated for removal. In a post on the social media platform X, Deery confirmed that Small Radios Big Televisions “will not be ‘retired’,” and that ownership and store listings would revert to him.
Similarly, Landon Podbielski, developer of the multiplayer platform shooter Duck Game, announced that his game would also revert to its original creator, Corptron, maintaining its presence on all platforms. Podbielski stated on X, “The game is being returned to Corptron along with its store pages on all platforms. It’s not going anywhere.”
Additional developers confirmed to Polygon that Warner Bros. Discovery has communicated its intention to transfer ownership of their titles back to them instead of proceeding with the delistings. One developer shared an email from WBD indicating it had considered the feedback and concerns regarding the “retirement” of titles published under Adult Swim Games.
However, not all developers have received updates from Warner Bros. Discovery. Some developers reported they never received the initial delisting notice in March and have yet to hear back from the company despite multiple attempts to get in touch. Polygon reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for comment and will provide updates if the company responds.
This planned removal of Adult Swim Games titles paralleled similar cuts within Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and television divisions. The media conglomerate notably shelved nearly completed films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme and removed several series from its Max streaming service. Warner Bros. has since licensed some of these shelved projects, such as the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which will be available on Amazon’s Prime Video this summer.
