Rocksteady Studio Faces Further Layoffs Following Suicide Squad's Underperformance
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 underwhelming sales have reportedly resulted in significant staff reductions.
The initial wave of layoffs, impacting approximately half of Rocksteady's QA team (reducing it from 33 to 15 employees), occurred in September. This latest round of job cuts, reported by Eurogamer, extends to the programming and art departments, occurring shortly before the release of the game's final update. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals to Eurogamer. Warner Bros. has yet to publicly comment on these recent layoffs, mirroring their silence following the September cuts.
The financial impact of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's underperformance is substantial for both Rocksteady and its parent company, WB Games. Warner Bros. previously acknowledged the game's failure to meet sales expectations.
The ripple effect extends beyond Rocksteady. WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Gotham Knights, also experienced layoffs in December, with many reportedly supporting Rocksteady on Suicide Squad's post-launch DLC. The final DLC, featuring Deathstroke as a playable character, launched December 10th. With one final update planned for later this month, the future of Rocksteady remains uncertain following this project's setbacks. The game's underperformance casts a shadow on Rocksteady's otherwise impressive track record of critically acclaimed DC-themed games.
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