“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League”, an action-adventure shooter game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games, has fallen fell short of their financial targets, Warner Bros. Discovery said during an earnings call. The comments come after the game’s rocky launch with low player counts and mixed reviews.
“Suicide Squad,” released on February 2nd, was a significant title for WB Games, but failed to live up to expectations. ““This year, Suicide Squad, one of our key video game releases in 2024, has fallen short of our expectations since its release earlier in the quarter, setting our games business up for a tough year-over-year comp in Q1,” said Gunnar Wiedenfels, chief financial officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, without revealing numbers and as reported by IGN, an online media company specializing in gaming, entertainment, and lifestyle.
Meanwhile, the game’s struggles extend beyond financials. Critics were lukewarm and mixed, with IGN calling it “a repetitive and bland looter-shooter” despite an interesting story. Zack Zwiezen of Kotaku, a website specialising in gaming blogs, termed Suicide Squad “just…okay” and “not amazing” but neither a “trainwreck.” Reportedly, Steam player numbers peaked at 13,459 and have plummeted to around 479 at the time of writing, with a 24-hour peak of 629.
Despite the challenges, WB has not abandoned “Suicide Squad” entirely. Joker is confirmed as a future playable character, and dataminers have unearthed hints of additional heroes and villains potentially joining the roster. However, with low player engagement and a questionable monetization strategy, the game’s future remains uncertain.
Overall, “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” is a cautionary tale for the industry. Despite high-profile development and a beloved franchise, the game struggled to find success due to various factors. It remains to be seen if WB can turn things around.
