Following the acclaimed "Batman: Arkham" series, Rocksteady Studios' latest title, "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," launched to critical and commercial disappointment. Now, two former developers have opened up to Bloomberg News, discussing the immense development pressures and creative frustrations behind the game.
Designer Johnny Armstrong stated that after completing three consecutive "Arkham" titles, the team was initially excited to step away from Batman and explore a new direction. However, the situation shifted when Warner Bros. mandated the game evolve into a "games-as-a-service" title—an uncharted territory for Rocksteady, a studio renowned for its single-player narrative action games.
Axel Rydby, who took over as game director in 2022, noted that the seven-year development cycle placed immense pressure on the project to recoup its costs. Consequently, Warner Bros. pushed the team to enhance replayability and player engagement.
"It was at that point," he described, "that I started to feel like I wasn't making games anymore. I was just following a spreadsheet, a vague marketing analysis spreadsheet that no one could clearly present."
Armstrong also confessed that "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" left him disillusioned with the industry. "I felt completely drained," he said. "I can't do this again. I don't know if I want to stay in this industry, but I'm really done."
Both developers subsequently departed Rocksteady and rekindled their creative passion with a new RPG deck-building game, "Secret of Circadia." Rocksteady's next project has not been officially announced, but rumors suggest the studio might return to the Batman universe. However, with several core "Arkham" creators having left, any future title is bound to take on a different form.
via： Bloomberg