There’s no doubt that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League once was an interesting project by Rocksteady. But, since its launch back in February, the game has quickly become infamous as one of the first big disappointments of the year. Right from the controversial decision to even make the game a single-player live service title to horrendous character choices, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has left a fork for Rocksteady as a developer.
Fans have been desperate for a game like Batman: Arkham Knight for years. Many believed that if Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice followed the same formula as the Batman title, it would’ve gone down in gaming history as one of the best. However, there’s still a chance for Rocksteady to make a comeback by finally using the Ninja Turtles IP combined with its experience with Arkham Knight.
Rocksteady Needs to Bring a Ninja Turtles Game with Arkham Knight’s Incredible Graphics
It’s a known fact that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) have had an incredible history expanding into mediums such as movies, television, and comics. However, they’ve always had a restricted presence in gaming. It’s been years since we’ve seen a new TMNT game, and that’s where Rocksteady Studios could capitalize on using what it learned from Batman: Arkham Knight.
Batman: Arkham Knight was originally released in 2015 and fundamentally changed how titles featuring licensed characters can be handled in video games. The title’s success eventually led to games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and helped bring in a new era of superhero games. The success was due to a large focus on the game’s graphical aspect, which made sure players could experience the Batman game in the most visually pleasing way possible. Even after almost a decade, the game still outshines modern titles.
Rocksteady Studio’s greatest strength has been its handling of storytelling and the visual experience. The developers would craft a grim, but hopefully, world for Batman games that carried as much emotional power as any movie. A TMNT game by Rocksteady Studios could do the same. By following the series’ darker path, the developers could perfectly represent New York City’s dark side and use the power of modern-generation consoles to show how beautiful a TMNT game can be.
The story could follow the four brothers, who still haven’t bonded, as they become quite the perfect team while fighting Shredder. They struggle to escape but want to live on the surface. Rocksteady could also bring Akhram Knight‘s teamwork mechanics and change how players switch between the four brothers in a new TMNT game. We could even see side villains appear as side missions from Arkham Knight.
The possibilities are endless for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. With Rocksteady’s recent flops, the developers need a success story, and the TMNT franchise can exactly prove to be that if they don’t botch it up again.
Why Did Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League Flop So Hard?
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s biggest financial disasters. Although the game seemed quite promising when it was first announced in 2020, with Rocksteady returning to the acclaimed DC universe, it was a disaster nonetheless.
The game faced multiple controversies during its long and rough development cycle, with the title being delayed times. When the developers gave us a look at its gameplay in 2024, fans quickly took note of the Suicide Squad’s live-service elements and started drawing comparisons to titles such as Marvel’s The Avengers. The game’s plot leaked later that year, leading to further backlash on how Suicide Squad handled beloved characters like Superman and Batman.
The superhero title fell short of the parent company Warner Bros. Discovery Expectations. According to Q1 financial results, the company took a major drop last year, with Suicide Squad contributing a nearly $200 million hit to the revenue.
Despite the Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s rough launch, Rocksteady has continued to support it through new expansions, adding characters, and missions centered around DC’s massive universe.
