Over a year after release, the disastrous effects of Rocksteady’sSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguecan still be felt today, resulting in a restructured direction for Warner Bros. games to focus on safer projects from their most successful IPs. Having canceled the upcomingWonder Womangame and even shutting down the legendary Monolith Studios during this change in direction, it seemed unlikely that Warner Bros. would make another risky gaming venture anytime soon.
Even if DC was listed among the few franchises that Warner Bros. has decided to shift its focus toward, alongsideHarry Potter,Mortal Kombat, andGame of Thrones,a famous comic franchise seems to be getting another chance sooner than you’d expect. While it’s not too surprising that Warner Bros. wouldn’t completely abandon DC after a single disaster likeSuicide Squad: KTJL, the direction of the project sounds eerily similar to the studio’s200-million-dollar disaster.
Warner Bros. Is Making Another Live-Service DC Game
Potentially Repeating The Studio’s Biggest Disaster
Despite still seeming to be recovering after their latest disaster,Warner Bros. Montrealhas recently uploaded a job posting for an Executive Producer with experience in"live service strategy"and a passion for both the"WB and DC Comics universes".While it’s far from an official announcement about the next project from the studio,the consistent mention of live service practices and the DC Comics catalog raises the possibility of a third entry to Warner Bros. Montreal’s co-op series.
Warner Bros. could once again repeat its biggest financial disaster.
Even if it’s not too surprising that Warner Bros. would entirely abandon the tried-and-true success of the DC brand, it’s still a surprising and more than a littleconcerning decision to jump straight into another risky live service project so soon afterSuicide Squad: KTJL.
While the news of a new game could prove to be a success after learning from themistakes of its predecessors, the similarities raise concerns that Warner Bros. could once again repeat its biggest financial disaster.
Missing The Mark On What Made The Franchise So Special
There are still plenty of gameplay and profit opportunities to be had from Live Service titles, butWarner Bros. Montreal’s recent attempts have failed to capture what made the original Arkhamverse so widely beloved in the first place. Even the most redeemable aspects ofSuicide Squad: KTJLare during the more scripted story segments or heartfelt character interactions, which fall to the wayside during its replayable live service aspects.
While it’s unlikely that any form ofSuicide Squad: KTJLsequelwould get made after its poor reception,the upcoming release is more likely to be yet another Batfamily-centric title in the familiar DC universe.
Even if the more positively received setting is bound to give the next Warner Bros. game a warmer reception than simply revisitingSuicide Squad: KTJL, it’s still a surprising move to jump right back into the same franchise that resulted in such a colossal disaster for the studio just last year.
Given how much potential both franchises have as a whole, there’s still some hope for the experienced studios to create a memorable experience, but it will have to offer an incredibly satisfying gameplay experience to overcome the negative perception surroundingSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
