Over 2.5 billion people globally play video games — on phones, consoles, computers; at home, on the bus, while waiting in line — and half of these players are women.
In recent years, the proportion of those making the games has steadily moved closer to equity, with 30 percent of developers identifying as women in 2021, as opposed to 21 percent in 2017. Despite these gains, women continue to be considered as a secondary gaming audience for many developers, and industry representation still has room to grow.
Warner Bros. Games, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, has launched a Women and Non-Binary Leadership Program to upend the gaming industry’s male-dominated characterization.
The program’s inaugural six-month run engaged 25 women and non-binary leaders from across Warner Bros. Games’ 11 global studios and global publishing and central teams. Its aim is to cultivate career development opportunities for underrepresented individuals within the gaming sector, elevating diverse voices to leadership roles and shaping a more inclusive future for the industry.
Joining the Women and Non-Binary Leadership program was a natural fit for Senior Producer Jesyca Durchin, who spends her day deep in the Wonder Woman properties with one specific goal.
“Everything that I do as a producer is rooted in my core philosophy of creating conditions for success,” she said.
The leadership program is committed to the same philosophy as it supports growth for participants.
Central to the program’s success is its emphasis on community building and self-reflection. Through a blend of structured workshops and candid conversations, participants found a safe space to share experiences and support one another. Beyond professional growth, the program sparked personal revelations, leading participants to prioritize self-care and embrace opportunities for continuous learning.
Durchin initially was hesitant to join the program, as she anticipated the additional responsibilities would draw her away from her work while mostly repeating lessons she had already learned earlier in her career. Instead, she was thrilled to find a transformative community of support that formed through shared learning experiences and small breakout sessions over the course of the program.
“If you’re resistant to a program like this, maybe consider it from a position of self-care,” she said. “Because of the people I met and how the program was organized, I found I was feeling better each day. It was self-care to learn something new. Even something as simple as finding out I can access Linkedin Learning through my company membership helped me grow and find new outlets that are both good for me and help me to feel good.”
“Because of the people I met and how the program was organized, I found I was feeling better each day. It was self care to learn something new.”
For Senior Manager of PR and Influencer Relations Ruby Rumjen, the Women and Non-Binary Leadership Program jump-started a commitment to professional development and personal growth.
“I had never really found the time or made the time to work on my skills, and the program made me rethink how I want to grow as a person and progress within the company,” Rumjen said. “I realized I have to make the effort myself beyond the mandatory or easy-to-find opportunities. I have to make a conscious decision to take the time to focus on development for myself.”
In the months since the program’s closing in-person event last September, Rumjen decided to join Toastmasters to continue to build her leadership skills and presentation ability — a move inspired by the testimonies she heard and support she received from the colleagues she worked with in the leadership program.
After completing the course, Rumjen has found herself taking on a new advocacy role within her team by helping colleagues connect with similar opportunities offered across Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The value that you get from the group’s shared experiences helps you to know that you're not alone,” she said. “Having that support outside of your direct team is so beneficial. Now that I have witnessed and experienced it myself, I really do encourage others to seek the same because it’s really enhanced my working life at WB Games. I ended up with so much more than I could have imagined when I began.”
More than that encouragement, Rumjen also found the program helping to expand her perspective on Warner Bros. Games as an organization.
“Personally, I really appreciated the business topics and workshops that allowed us to learn more about the wider business,” she said. “There have been many times where I've sat on sales calls or in financial meetings and only had a very basic knowledge of what they’re referring to, so understanding other parts of the business and what goes into decision making made a huge difference to me.”
Senior Director of Business Development and Licensing Kelly C. Hill has also seen the program’s influence in how she works with her team.
“I came into games full-time after a career in licensing spaces where women were the majority,” she said. “I already had a sense that it was important for me to show up and to be an example that people like me can and should have a seat at the table. The program reaffirmed my commitment to bringing more diversity into the industry and doing what I can to let people see an alternative to what they may picture as a games executive.”
“The program reaffirmed my commitment to bringing more diversity into the industry and doing what I can to let people see an alternative to what they may picture as a games executive.”
While Durchin and Hill participated in the program from Warner Bros. Games’ Los Angeles office, Rumjen joined from London. Even across the eight-hour time difference, each of the three women found herself turning to the group’s active Slack channel and supportive community found there.
“I like to reach out, like posts and get silly with our Slack because it’s been such a powerful group of like-minded individuals with similar goals and experiences,” Durchin said. “I feel like I have instant resources in our group there, and it offers me a sense of daily connection with the people I met during the program.”
Hill agreed. “Our Slack community is a great resource for staying connected with people I may not have otherwise known except for the program,” she said. “There are challenges faced by women and non-binary people — in the games industry and in other industries, as well — that are unique but also shared, so we had the opportunity to realize that even though our roles were completely different, we still might be facing some of the same challenges. To get different perspectives from people who are at different places in their journey was really valuable, as we could share personal experiences that offered insights to pass back to people facing those challenges now.”
Rumjen has found herself benefitting from that community each day. “I have never had such a wide and supportive community at work,” she said. “If I need advice or just another perspective, the Slack group offers an expanded network that helps me in my role and also personally. It makes such a difference to feel that we are part of one team and one company of great storytellers and talented colleagues.”
The participants didn’t only rely on virtual connection — they all came together for an in-person summit at the end of the program in September 2023. With time in person, the group had the opportunity to uncover even more ways to advance women and non-binary professionals at WB Games. The only problem? Not enough time.
“We saw the opportunity and said, ‘If we could all just harness some of what we have together and support each other, what couldn't we accomplish?’” Durchin said. “That got going really quickly once we were together and talking, but it was too short to change the world. That would have been possible if we had another week!”
“We saw the opportunity and said, ‘If we could all just harness some of what we have together and support each other, what couldn't we accomplish?’”
As Durchin, Rumjen and Hill advocate for greater participation and inclusivity, they pave the way for a more equitable and vibrant Warner Bros. Games and gaming industry as a whole — one where diverse talents flourish and innovation thrives.
