Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has piqued the interests of gamers who are fans of the genre and source material, however, the leaks that came beforehand and the live-service structure taken by Rocksteady Studios may be a recipe for disaster, especially with recent stats of the game. This project could be another cautionary tale of how not to develop a superhero game.
DC fans were hyped to see a video game adaptation of Suicide Squad, with their rising popularity due to the live-action films which were received with mixed reactions, this project is no different. The game was intended to have more post-launch content which would indicate a long-term plan with support from developers and an over-arching storyline, but it all seems to be in vain with recent stats.
Rocksteady Studios Killed The Suicide Squad
It is very upsetting to see a game with such high potential be wasted on an idea that could have been foolproof. Superheroes can make anything sell, especially if the game features iconic characters and fan favorites, however, the execution was awful and records show how much worse it can be for the game.
I kind of worry about the future of Rocksteady…
The Suicide Squad sales in the first 5 weeks after launch in Europe are
– 33% lower than Gotham Knights
– 61%(!) lower than Guardians of the GalaxyThe game didn't even make it to the top 10 of the month…. (skull & Bones was… pic.twitter.com/6FBMDUEQdA
— JorRaptor (@Jorraptor) March 18, 2024
It is very concerning to see a game that couldn’t reach the top 10 on any list with the amount of marketing and appeal it had. The DC brand has suffered with poor handling in films and now in video games which goes to show how Warner Bros. is incompetent to manage their strongest franchise.
The superhero genre has shown from time and time again that they are not meant for this structure of corporate greed. Marvel’s Avengers was the first cautionary tale, even Ms Marvel herself got sick of the gameplay. Rocksteady didn’t even try to salvage what they could from their game and adjust it much earlier. The repetitive gameplay also did not help their case which makes future support very unlikely.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Was Dead On Arrival
The foundation was already laid out with Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham series where they could have continued the story without butchering their original universe. The damage that this game did not only to the DC brand but within their timeline is irreversible and embarrassing, and players also spot some notable plot holes like how Superman survived from a Kryptonite shard piercing his chest.
Rocksteady should have stayed clear of the multiplayer idea and developed more single-player content about DC heroes rather than following the path of least resistance to stay relevant.
Not all ideas are good, maybe on paper and in planning phases the future of Suicide Squad had more of a vision, but the numbers indicate that the declining player count is beginning to blur it even more. DC and Rocksteady Studios had the potential to do even better than previous live-service games based on superhero IP but fumbled in the end. Are you a fan of the Suicide Squad? Let us know in the comments below!
