Suicide Squad Flop Triggers 48% WB Games Revenue Drop

Warner Bros. Games just served up a bitter pill: a staggering 48% plunge in game revenue, and the lion’s share of blame lands squarely on the troubled launch—and rapid unraveling—of Rocksteady Studios’ big-budget live-service experiment, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The aftermath? Swift layoffs, studio closures, and a dramatic strategic pivot away from risky bets in favor of blockbuster comfort food.

When a Live-Service Gamble Goes South

WB Games’ revenue tumbled 48% year-over-year, driven by Suicide Squad’s underwhelming sales.
Steam player numbers cratered from 13,000 at launch to under 1,000 in just a month.
Multiple studio shutdowns and layoffs followed the game’s poor showing.
Warner Bros. is refocusing on established franchises and proven studios for future titles.

Publisher|Warner Bros. Games
Release Date|February 2, 2024
Genres|Action, Third-Person Shooter, Live-Service
Platforms|PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

It’s rare to see a major title flame out this publicly. Despite months of anticipation (and plenty of side-eye over its online-only format), Rocksteady’s DC antihero shooter peaked at just over 13,000 concurrent Steam players—before free-falling below 1,000 within four weeks. The drop-off was so steep that “maintenance mode” was all but inevitable.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League key art — Despite its DC pedigree, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League struggled to find its audience.

Warner Bros. didn’t mince words in its recent financial report, bluntly naming Suicide Squad’s rough launch—and the lack of new releases—as the prime culprit for the revenue nosedive. Banking on DC star power and Rocksteady’s Arkham legacy, the publisher expected a sure thing. The reality? Not so much.

Suicide Squad’s lukewarm reception and mass player exodus were made worse by a live-service model—a sharp left turn from Rocksteady’s acclaimed single-player roots. The game delivered explosive action and familiar faces, but repetitive missions and aggressive monetization quickly wore thin. Season 1 failed to reignite interest, and by December 2024, Warner Bros. confirmed that Season 4 would be the game’s farewell tour.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gameplay screenshot — Even a flashy cast and frantic action couldn’t keep players hooked for long.

The fallout was swift—and harsh. Rocksteady was hit with layoffs, and Warner Bros. shuttered three other studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB Games San Diego. The publisher called it a series of “difficult decisions,” highlighting just how much a single flop can disrupt an entire corporate strategy.

Looking forward, Warner Bros. is reining in experimental projects and doubling down on reliable franchises and experienced studios. It’s a pragmatic (if less adventurous) move that might steady the ship—but risks turning off fans hungry for creative risks. For Rocksteady, once a beacon of innovation, the takeaway is painfully clear: swinging for the fences can come with a brutal price when you miss.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in-game image — Season 4 will be the game’s last, as Warner Bros. plays it safe with future projects.

TL;DR: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s live-service gamble fizzled, dragging WB Games’ revenue down 48% and triggering a wave of layoffs and closures. The publisher is now betting on safer, well-worn paths—leaving the future of big-budget risk-taking up in the air.

Source: Warner Bros. Games via GamesPress