At the end of 2024, Rocksteady Studios, the acclaimed developer behind Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, announced yet another round of layoffs, impacting six workers who chose to remain anonymous. This wave of layoffs affected members of the programming team, artists, and testers, marking a continuation of downsizing that began in September when the testing team was reduced from 33 to 15 individuals.
Throughout 2024, Rocksteady grappled with significant challenges in sustaining Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League amid its low popularity. Warner Bros. reported that the project incurred losses amounting to approximately $200 million. In a disheartening announcement in December, the developers stated that no new updates would be forthcoming for the game in 2025, though the servers would continue to operate.
The layoffs extended beyond Rocksteady, affecting another Warner Bros. studio, Games Montreal, known for titles like Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights. In December, 99 employees from Games Montreal were let go.
The situation worsened when the game was released to early access users. Players encountered severe bugs, including complete server outages that prevented gameplay. An unfortunate early access glitch even exposed a major storyline spoiler, drawing further ire from the community. The gameplay itself received numerous complaints, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.
Prominent gaming publications echoed the sentiment of disappointment with the game, contributing to a massive wave of refund requests. According to analytics firm McLuck, the troubled launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League led to a staggering 791% surge in refund demands.
As of now, it remains uncertain what projects Rocksteady Studios will tackle next.
