Rocksteady Faces Further Layoffs Following Suicide Squad's Underwhelming Performance
Rocksteady Studios, renowned for the acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, has announced another round of layoffs, following the disappointing performance of its latest title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game's mixed reception and subsequent divisive post-launch DLC contributed to the studio's financial struggles. This latest wave of job cuts, impacting programming and art teams, comes on the heels of September's significant reduction of the QA department by approximately 50%.
The financial fallout from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been substantial for both Rocksteady and its parent company, WB Games. Warner Bros. publicly acknowledged the game's failure to meet sales expectations earlier this year. The initial September layoffs, affecting half of the QA staff (reducing it from 33 to 15 employees), were a direct consequence of the game's underperformance.
Eurogamer recently reported on the additional layoffs at the end of 2024, affecting both QA and members of the programming and art teams. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals, highlighting the ongoing impact of the game's poor reception. Warner Bros. remains silent on these recent job cuts, mirroring their previous lack of comment on the September layoffs.
Ripple Effect Across WB Games
Rocksteady isn't alone in feeling the impact of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's underperformance. WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also experienced layoffs in December, primarily affecting QA staff who supported Rocksteady's post-launch DLC development.
The final DLC, released December 10th, introduced Deathstroke as a playable character. While Rocksteady plans one last update for Suicide Squad later this month, the studio's future remains uncertain. The game's underperformance casts a shadow on Rocksteady's otherwise impressive track record, underscoring the significant challenges of live service titles.
