New report: Troubled times for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, developed by Rocksteady, has been a significant commercial failure, causing considerable financial losses for Warner Bros. This live service game, which departed from Rocksteady's successful Batman Arkham series, faced criticism for numerous development delays and for not meeting fan expectations. Internal reports highlighted a "toxic positivity" culture that stifled necessary criticism and resulted in the game missing key release windows. Despite hopes for the game to evolve into a billion-dollar franchise, it struggled with low player numbers and negative reviews. The studio is now reportedly working on a director’s cut of Hogwarts Legacy and planning to return to single-player games, reminiscent of Rocksteady's Batman roots. Additionally, Warner Bros. is set to release a new Batman VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow, exclusive to Meta Quest 3 later in 2024.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League failed due to a combination of factors including development issues, lack of expertise in live service games, and missed release windows. Additionally, a culture that discouraged criticism hindered crucial improvements, leading to a product that did not meet fan or commercial expectations.

Extra background information: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set in the same universe as the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series, a collection of action-adventure games known for their deep narratives and engaging combat mechanics. Starting with Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009 and peaking with Batman: Arkham City in 2011, these games built a strong fanbase that had high expectations for any subsequent titles from Rocksteady, contributing to the disappointment with the live service approach of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.