Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Studio Reports More Layoffs

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 layoffs have now impacted Rocksteady's programming and art departments, occurring just before the release of the game's final update.

Rocksteady, renowned for the Batman: Arkham series, faced challenges in 2024 with the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game received mixed reviews, and its post-launch DLC further fueled controversy. Consequently, Rocksteady announced the cessation of new content after a final January update.

Both Rocksteady and its parent company, WB Games, incurred significant losses on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Warner Bros. reported the game fell short of sales projections in February. This financial shortfall contributed to the substantial QA department layoffs. The team was reduced from 33 to 15 employees.

However, these cuts were not isolated. Eurogamer reported additional layoffs at the end of 2024, affecting remaining QA staff, programmers, and artists. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals, citing concerns about their future prospects. Warner Bros. remains silent on these recent layoffs, mirroring their response to the September cuts.

More Layoffs Follow Suicide Squad's Underperformance

Rocksteady isn't alone in experiencing the fallout from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. WB Games Montreal, responsible for Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also conducted layoffs in December, primarily affecting QA personnel 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 uncertain. The game's underperformance casts a shadow on Rocksteady's otherwise impressive track record of critically acclaimed DC games, highlighting the significant consequences of the live-service title's failure.