Recent rumors have been pointing toward a Warner Bros. fighting game in the style of Super Smash Bros. More evidence for the title's development has emerged showing a character select screen full of Warner Bros. icons.
It seems like more companies than just Nickelodeon are trying to cash in on the success of Super Smash Bros., a fighting game whose merits in the genre are rivaled by the game's crossover potential. DC Comics, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., has its own line of fighting games in the Injustice series, though the rumors surrounding this Warner Bros. game point towards another developer besides NetherRealm, and will include characters from throughout Warner Bros.' various properties. Many fans were promptly disappointed from the recent DC FanDome 2021, as no news of another Injustice game was given, despite NetherRealm figurehead, Ed Boon, being in attendance.
Notable member of the Smash Bros. community, Hungrybox, has seemingly leaked part of the rumored Warner Bros. fighting game's roster. In his tweet, he displays what he calls the "Warner Bros Multiversus," showing a character select screen featuring many highly recognizable franchises. There is also an unnamed new character what appears to be some sort of mint-colored creature with horns. The recognizible characters include:
- Steven Universe from Steven Universe
- Batman, Harley Quinn, Superman, and Wonder Woman from DC Comics
- Finn and Jake from Adventure Time
- Shaggy from Scooby-Doo
- Gandalf from Lord of the Rings
- Rick from Rick and Morty
- Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes
- Tom and Jerry from Tom and Jerry.
Hungrybox released a video accompanying the tweet discussing the Warner Bros. leak, which Warner Bros. Entertainment has promptly blocked for copyright reasons. Not missing a beat, Hungrybox followed up with another post, showing a picture of the copyright claim, with the caption, "And that, my friends, is what we call a 'hard confirm.'" Earlier this week, Warner Bros. trademarked multiple Rick and Morty characters, making the appearance of Rick make sense, although the series has appeared in other video games before this development.
If this is leak is actually fake, a lot of work certainly went into designing it. From the unique character portraits, to the symbols in the corner of every roster spot—a sword, a fist, a shield, amongst other icons—there are the makings of an UI here. Furthermore, these elements demonstrate a consistent art style as well as the potential categories that the roster is divided into, which might suggest some of the systems might be part of the gameplay. At the end of the day, if Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl can happen, so can a fighting game based on Warner Bros.