Warner Bros. disappointed with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for falling short of expectations
Rocksteady's latest isn't doing as well as its parent company had hoped.
Warner Bros. Discovery has published its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results, noting that its latest game release, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has failed to meet company expectations.
Because of this, according to Warner’s chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels, it has set the company’s Q1 2024 games business up for a “tough year-over-year.” Highlighting the same period in 2023 when Hogwarts Legacy was released, Wiedenfels said the wizarding action RPG had a “very positive financial impact” on Warner’s first quarter (thanks, Seeking Alpha).
“A couple of items to consider for the Studios segment during the coming quarter. We are lapping the release of Hogwarts Legacy in February last year, which saw the largest portion of its very positive financial impact in the first quarter,” said Wiedenfels.
“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 in Q1.”
It's possible the game hasn't performed as anticipated due in part to late reviews, and a rocky release due to log-in and server issues. While Rocksteady has ironed out most of these issues, things aren’t perfect, as some users are still reporting problems logging into the game - something the studio said it will continue to work on.
Players are encountering roadblocks in other areas. Some attempting Incursion missions have faced interminable loading screens, others are struggling with multiplayer login issues, and the Mastery system is also experiencing hiccups, with progress tracking and rewards malfunctioning. However, these challenges and more are on the mend with upcoming patches, paving the way for a smoother and more rewarding experience.
While the game has not performed as well as Warner had hoped (and critic reviews were mediocre), it’s been on the market for less than a month, having just released on January 30.
In the US, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League debuted in third place in January, according to consumer analytics firm Circana (NPD). That’s not a terrible slot for a new release only days old going up against first-place title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) and the highly anticipated Tekken 8.
Plus, it’s also a live service game. Games such as this thrive on constant evolution. Regular updates unveil fresh experiences, injecting narratives, events, characters, and bonus items. With Kill the Justice League, you can expect upcoming content to delve into the DC multiverse and its iconic heroes and villains through four planned seasons.
March marks the arrival of Season One, bringing none other than the Joker to the game, and the character will come with his own unique story content that can be unlocked entirely through free gameplay.
Additionally, Season One features new boss fights and enemy variants, new DC Villain-themed weapons and gear, an additional playable environment, new activities and strongholds, new Riddler content, two episodes, and more. The number of Incursion missions will increase from three to six, and folks only need to play three out of the six to increase unlocked Mastery Levels.
Future content for Seasons 2-4 includes three additional characters and playable environments, meaning players can expect one new character and environment per season, plus additional gear, weapons, mid-season updates, and more.
This additional content could help the game grow in popularity, resulting in increased game sales thanks to changes in public perception. Hopefully, Warner is aware of future potential, and the company’s expectations will soon be realized.