Suicide Squad game creator resists 'live service' label

Rocksteady Studios, known for the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series, is carefully navigating the terminology of its upcoming title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Despite the presence of live service elements such as a battle pass and gear scores, which align with trends in contemporary gaming, product director Darius Sadeghian refrains from labeling the game as a live service. Instead, Sadeghian emphasizes the game's unique blend of traversal, melee, and shooter mechanics that cater to a four-player co-op experience. The objective for Rocksteady is to create a global community and an immersive experience that fans can share with friends.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League allows gamers to step into the shoes of iconic supervillains like Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark. The game offers both solo and co-op gameplay within the open-world city of Metropolis. While embracing new multiplayer dynamics, Rocksteady asserts that the essence of the Batman: Arkham series is still woven into the game's fabric, despite concerns from fans who anticipated a single-player focused return. The game's release is set for February 2, after enduring several delays, and aims to foster a robust community around it. This approach comes at a time when some live service games are waning, evidenced by Sony's withdrawal from Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game and industry layoffs, yet single-player titles like Hogwarts Legacy and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have soared in popularity.

No, while Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League incorporates features common in live service games, Rocksteady Studios does not categorize it as such. The game is designed with a focus on creating a cohesive gameplay experience that emphasizes community building without fully adhering to the live service model.

Rocksteady is an established game development studio based in London, best known for its work on the Batman: Arkham series which has received acclaim for its narrative depth, world-building, and innovative combat mechanics. Suicide Squad is a significant departure from this formula, introducing co-op play and live service elements. Fans are curious about how Rocksteady's expertise in single-player design will translate to this new model, though the studio has assured that the game's core will remain true to the principles of the Arkham series. The excitement around Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is also heightened due to its association with the wider DC Universe and the prospect of exploring a dark narrative where players control the villains instead of the heroes. Rocksteady's upcoming release represents a pivotal moment in the studio's history and the evolving landscape of superhero video games.