"Rocksteady Faces More Layoffs Post Suicide Squad Flop"

At the close of 2024, Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, announced yet another wave of layoffs. Six employees, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that developers from the programming team, artists, and testers were affected. This recent round of layoffs follows a previous reduction in September, when the testing team was cut from 33 to 15 members.

Throughout 2024, Rocksteady faced significant challenges in sustaining Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League amid its low popularity. Warner Bros. reported that the project incurred losses of approximately $200 million. In December, the developers announced that no new updates would be released for the game in 2025, though the servers would remain operational.

The layoffs were not confined to Rocksteady alone. In December, Warner Bros. Games Montreal, known for Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also faced cuts, with 99 employees being laid off.

The situation took a turn for the worse when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was released to early access users. Players encountered severe bugs, and the servers crashed multiple times, preventing access to the game. Additionally, a storyline spoiler was inadvertently revealed due to one of the bugs, and the gameplay received widespread criticism.

Major gaming publications expressed their dissatisfaction with the game, leading to a significant number of early access refunds. According to the analytics company McLuck, the game's troubled launch resulted in a 791% surge in refund requests.

It remains uncertain what Rocksteady Studios will focus on next, as the future of the studio hangs in the balance amidst these challenges.