Warner Bros. and Rocksteady Studios create UK games academy

Warner Bros. Discovery and Batman: Arkham developer Rocksteady Studios have launched a games program in the UK for aspiring developers. The free 12-week program was created in conjunction with NextGen Skills Academy, will focus on applicants from underrepresented communities and those without a typical avenue into the games industry, such as university. 

The United Kingdom is one of the largest avenues for game development, including developers such as Grand Theft Auto V's Rockstar North and Lego Star Wars' Traveller's Tales. The aim is to make the UK a more enticing destination for game developers, hence the program's inclusion of one of Warner Bros.' most well-known UK developers. 

Applications for the program are now open, with a deadline of September 23. Successful applicants will be notified mid-October, and will receive financial assistance for travel or childcare.

“The British game industry is the biggest in Europe and we want to ensure that we’re supporting its sustainable growth while ensuring that it is an inclusive and equitable place for people to work," wrote WB Discovery's chief diversity officer Asif Sadiq in a press release. 

Sadiq further pointed out that this program is the first at WB to focus exclusively on video games, and is "a reflection of our commitment to creating and fostering relationships with underrepresented talent and opening up access to the industry."

Rocksteady head and co-founder Jamie Walker got into the games industry through limited opportunities, and views the new program as a way to pay it forward to those in a similar position to himself. 

"This program provides training along with a network of support to give future talent in this industry a flying start to their careers," he explained. "We have been looking for a long time to find an impactful way to help bring fresh, underrepresented talent into the games industry."

Given that WB's game division is said to be business as usual and quite successful, it isn't too surprising to hear that WB wants to bring more industry talent into the fold. Its IP fighting game MultiVersus recently passed 20 million players in its one-month lifespan. 

Last week, WB Games head David Haddad seemed optimistic that it would survive everything else going on at its parent company. There've reportedly been no layoffs or game cancellations across WB's 11 game studios. 

WB Games' more immediate releases include October's Gotham Knights and February 2023's Hogwarts Legacy. Rocksteady's next game, focused on DC Comics' Suicide Squad, is also expected to release sometime in 2023.