Following the underperformance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Rocksteady Studios has announced further layoffs. The game's disappointing sales initially resulted in a 50% reduction of the QA team in September. This latest round of job cuts impacts programming and art staff, occurring just before the game's final update.
Rocksteady, renowned for the Batman: Arkham series, faced a challenging 2024. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a Batman: Arkham spin-off, received mixed reviews and its post-launch DLC further fueled controversy. Subsequently, Rocksteady ceased adding content after a final January update.
The game proved financially challenging for both Rocksteady and its parent company, WB Games. Warner Bros. reported in February that the game fell short of sales projections. The September QA layoffs, affecting approximately half the department (reducing it from 33 to 15 employees), were a direct consequence of this underperformance.
Eurogamer recently revealed additional layoffs at the end of 2024, impacting remaining QA staff, programmers, and artists. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals, citing concerns about future job prospects. Warner Bros. remains silent on these recent layoffs, mirroring their response to the September cuts.
Further Industry Impact
Rocksteady isn't alone in experiencing setbacks related to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. WB Games Montreal, responsible for Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also announced layoffs in December, primarily affecting QA staff who supported Suicide Squad's post-launch DLC.
The final DLC, released December 10th, introduced Deathstroke as the fourth playable character. While a final update is planned for later this month, Rocksteady's future plans remain unclear. The game's underperformance casts a shadow on Rocksteady's impressive track record of critically acclaimed DC games, highlighting the significant impact of the live-service title's failure.
