Warner Bros Discovery recently shut down a trio of game studios, including the well-regarded Monolith Productions. This has put one of the coolest game mechanics of the 2010s in limbo. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's excellent Nemesis system is locked behind a patent owned by Warner Bros all the way until 2036,

Warner Bros will retain the rights to Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system until 2036 The system was set to be used in Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman game Warner Bros shut down Monolith this week, leaving the Nemesis system to be unusable by any other studio for another 11 years Warner Bros.

The Nemesis system, for those unfamiliar, is a clever in-game mechanic which tracks a player's actions to create enemies that feel capable of remembering past encounters. In the studio's Middle-earth games, this allowed foes to rise through the ranks and enact revenge.

Wonder Woman was the third game by Monolith expected to use the Nemesis System. The feature – first introduced in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – powers emergent storylines in each individual playthrough, giving antagonists unique personalities which changes how they respond to your actions in the world.

As reported by journalist Stephen Totilo, Monolith's Nemesis system patent --which remains the property of Warner Bros.--was filed in 2016, and it won't expire until August 11, 2036. The only way the patent could be officially abandoned beforehand is if Warner Bros. fails to pay the associated fees to keep it active.

Last night, the gaming community was taken by surprise when Warner Bros. announced the shutdown of Monolith Productions, known for their groundbreaking work on the ‘Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor’ and its sequel,