Following the underperformance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Rocksteady Studios has experienced further layoffs. The game's disappointing sales initially resulted in a 50% reduction of the QA team in September. Recent job cuts have now extended to the programming and art departments, preceding 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 upon release, with post-launch DLC exacerbating the negative reception. Consequently, Rocksteady ceased adding content after a final January update concluding the game's narrative.
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 subsequent layoffs in the QA department, impacting approximately half of its 33 employees, were partly attributed to this underperformance.
Eurogamer recently revealed additional layoffs at the end of 2024, affecting more QA staff, programmers, and artists. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals, highlighting the impact on their careers. Warner Bros. remains silent on these layoffs, mirroring its response to the September cuts.
Rocksteady's Layoffs Continue After Suicide Squad's Underperformance
Rocksteady isn't alone in experiencing the fallout from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's poor performance. WB Games Montreal, the studio behind 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 scheduled for later this month, Rocksteady's future plans remain unclear. The game's commercial failure casts a shadow on Rocksteady's impressive track record of successful DC-themed titles, underscoring the significant impact of the live-service model's failure.
