Suicide Squad Layoffs Hit WB Games Montreal

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 sales of its latest title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game's mixed reception and subsequent divisive post-launch content led to this latest wave of job cuts, impacting programming, art, and QA teams.

The financial fallout from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's underperformance was initially reported by Warner Bros. in February 2024, revealing the game failed to meet sales projections. This resulted in a significant reduction of Rocksteady's QA staff in September, cutting the team roughly in half.

Recent reports from Eurogamer detail further job losses at the end of 2024, affecting additional QA personnel, programmers, and artists. Several anonymous employees confirmed their dismissals, highlighting the ongoing impact of the game's commercial failure. Warner Bros. has yet to publicly address these recent layoffs, mirroring their silence following the September cuts.

Ripple Effect Across WB Games

The consequences of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's underperformance extend beyond Rocksteady. WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, also experienced layoffs in December, largely affecting QA staff who supported Rocksteady on the game's post-launch DLC.

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 following the game's closure. The title's commercial struggles cast a shadow over Rocksteady's impressive track record, underscoring the significant impact of its live service experiment's failure.