Suicide Squad: League Takedown Rumors Amid Studio Cutbacks

Rocksteady Suffers Further Layoffs Following Suicide Squad's Underperformance

Rocksteady Studios, renowned for the acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, has experienced another wave of layoffs, adding to the fallout from the disappointing performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game's mixed reception and underperforming sales have significantly impacted the studio.

Following the game's release, Suicide Squad received a mixed critical and commercial response, with sales falling short of Warner Bros.' expectations. This led to a substantial reduction of Rocksteady's QA staff in September, cutting the team roughly in half.

Unfortunately, the recent layoffs extend beyond QA, impacting Rocksteady's programming and art departments. This latest round of job cuts, reported by Eurogamer, comes shortly after the release of the game's final content update in January. Several affected employees, speaking anonymously to protect their job prospects, confirmed the layoffs to Eurogamer. Warner Bros. has yet to publicly address these recent cuts, mirroring their silence regarding the September layoffs.

Ripple Effect Across WB Games

The impact of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's underperformance isn't limited to Rocksteady. WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also experienced layoffs in December, with many of those affected reportedly being QA staff who supported Rocksteady on the post-launch content for Suicide Squad.

The final DLC for Suicide Squad, released December 10th, added Deathstroke as a playable character. While one last update is planned for later this month, the future of Rocksteady remains uncertain following the completion of this final update. The game's underperformance casts a shadow on Rocksteady's impressive track record, highlighting the risks associated with live-service titles.