Summary
Over the past couple of years, it seems like the big superhero game developers have wanted their own multiplayer live-service titles. Marvel attempted the concept withMarvel’s Avengers, which ended up being a disappointment for the studio. DC tried a similar approach with the likes ofGotham Knights, but that too seems to have fallen flat with audiences. Now, DC is trying it once again withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and that may have died before it even began.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis supposed to be taking the iconicBatman: Arkhamseries in a whole new direction. While fans are excited to return to Rocksteady’s DC universe, the gameplay trailers have left much to be desired. The only thing it seems to share with those classic games is the continuity itself, while everything else seems to solely fit the live-service framework. There is a chance the game is worthy of the franchise, but that may be hard for it to prove.
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AfterBatman: Arkham Knightfinished off the trilogy in 2015, no one really knew what Rocksteady was going to do next. Besides a VR experience in 2016, it seemed like theArkhamseries was over, and the studio was moving on to something else entirely. However, that all quickly changed when it announcedSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguein 2020. It was supposed to serve as the fifth game in the popularBatman: Arkhamseries and fans were very excited to see more.
The first couple of trailers forSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueshowed a game that seemed like a natural continuation oftheBatman: Arkhamfranchise. It looked like it would have the same writing and style that fans had come to expect. However, the first gameplay trailer showed a game that was nothing like what players had expected. While it was still in the same world as theArkhamgames, the gameplay and mechanics seemed completely different. Each character had a gun, the story was built around a co-op multiplayer mode, and the UI was heavily reminiscent ofMarvel’s Avengers.
It seems likeSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueisDC’s attempt atMarvel’s Avengers, which is not really what fans wanted.Batman: Arkhamplayers expected a continuation of the primarily single-player open-world franchise while DC fans were excited to see the Suicide Squad make their big video game debut. Instead, they are getting another superhero live-service game, and that seems like a strange direction to take the concept.
SinceSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewill be live-service, it will have to do a lot to win over skeptical fans.The live-service genre has garnered some controversyover the years, which Rocksteady will likely want to shake off. On top of that, there has not really been a wholly beloved DC game for a while.Gotham Knightswas supposed to be this great new experience from the creators ofBatman: Arkham Origins, but it received mixed reviews at launch and players quickly forgot about it. DC fans are now looking for something to turn to, yet many of them did not want it to be a live-service title.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguenot only has to show DC fans that a live-service game was the right call, but it also has to show them that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is still capable of releasing a quality DC title. That seems like an impossible task, whichthe box office failures of recent DCEU filmsdo not help with at all. The DC brand in general is in a bit of a rough spot right now, so hopefully Rocksteady’sSuicide Squadwill be able to show fans it is not out of the fight just yet.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewill be released on June 11, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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