Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Ubisoft’s upcoming Skull and Bones share many similarities – and not the good kind. Both were stuck in development hell for years, while fan anticipation cooled to lukewarm. This is largely due to a drastic change of direction for the studios, as both jumped on the live-service bandwagon that departed a long time ago.
With unfavorable review scores and dismal player counts, the DC looter shooter has had a rough start. The release of Ubisoft’s pirate adventure is around the corner. Is it headed for the same rough waters?
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Marks a Departure From Rocksteady’s Legacy
As the first title by Rocksteady after the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League had big shoes to fill, and it did not deliver.
With a dismal Metacritic score of 62 (on PS5) and a poor peak concurrent player count of 13,459 on Steam at the time of writing, Rocksteady’s title has had a disastrous launch.
The Batman: Arkham series is regarded as the best set of superhero games ever, yet the publisher Warner Bros. ended up chasing trends, ultimately changing the studio’s direction. Instead of building on what it knew best, the title was warped into a multiplayer live-service game, which disappointed fans.
With regular content updates, the game aims to keep players playing for years. However, the industry has changed, with many now viewing live-service titles as cash grabs.
Will Skull and Bones See a Similar Fate?
The story behind the DC title rings familiar, with Ubisoft’s upcoming Skull and Bones having a similar backstory. Originally planned as an expansion for the popular Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, it was turned into a standalone title that went through development hell, too.
Plagued by countless delays and changes, the upcoming pirate adventure is no longer what it was once supposed to be. Instead of recreating the beloved experience from the Assassin’s Creed entry, it will be a live-service game that focuses on ship customization and multiplayer naval combat.
Just as with Rocksteady’s title, it signifies a pivot to a new model that has left fans unhappy. Especially after middling beta test reviews, anticipation for the title that is set to launch on February 16 has been mute, suggesting that the swashbuckling adventure might be headed for the same rough waters WB’s shooter is currently navigating.
Both games are scheduled to receive regular updates to keep players coming back for more. It remains to be seen if the post-launch content will be enough to draw players in.
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