Rocksteady Affected by Layoffs After Suicide Squad's Misfire

Rocksteady Studios is facing significant fallout following the poor reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, leading to staff layoffs. The quality assurance team saw its numbers drop from 33 to 15, resulting in concerns over the product's quality as the remaining testers struggle to maintain standard levels. The game's dismal sales impacted Warner Bros. Discovery, causing a $200 million revenue loss. Released in January 2024, the game featured popular characters like Harley Quinn and Deadshot but faced heavy criticism and technical issues, marking it as a disappointment both critically and commercially.

The layoffs at Rocksteady Studios were primarily caused by the disappointing performance and sales of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which resulted in significant financial losses for its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was intended as a live service game, but its launch was marred by issues such as players being kicked out after a short period due to bugs. Despite a compelling story, the title received a lackluster 5/10 review score, criticizing its repetitive gameplay. Given Rocksteady's reputation for delivering quality titles, the unexpected failure of this game is a pivotal moment for the studio, known for its successful Arkham series that redefined superhero gaming.