Suicide Squad Developers Discuss Game Challenges: “It Felt Like I Was Just Following a Spreadsheet, Not Creating”

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was one of the most awaited titles from the renowned studio known for crafting some of the best Batman games. However, instead of redefining the live-service genre, Rocksteady Studio’s ambitious project reportedly resulted in a staggering $200 million loss for Warner Bros. following its unsuccessful launch. Two developers from this 2024 misfire are now channeling their efforts into a new deckbuilding RPG and have shared insights into the challenges faced during the production of Suicide Squad.

In a recent interview, the game’s lead designer, Axel Rydby, revealed that as development stretched on, the pressure mounted to ensure the third-person looter shooter was replayable and monetizable. Meetings with Warner Bros. shifted focus from creative ideas to financial strategies. “That’s when I started feeling like I wasn’t making games anymore,” Rydby expressed. “I was following a spreadsheet, some elusive marketing-analysis spreadsheet that no one could present clearly. I kind of felt like this isn’t the gaming industry I wanted to work in.”

Johnny Armstrong, who joined Rocksteady Studios in 2010 and eventually became the associate design director for Suicide Squad, also experienced burnout. He noted that the team’s overconfidence stemming from their success with the Batman: Arkham trilogy became a hurdle when transitioning to live-service, a genre that demands different approaches compared to the tailored level and narrative design of their previous acclaimed titles. The sheer scale of Suicide Squad made testing difficult, and a pattern of minor delays, rather than strategic planning, hindered necessary improvements.

“We put all these hours in, but it didn’t feel like it was tangibly getting better,” Armstrong shared. “Everyone felt like they were having to run to stand still.”

Now, both developers are working on an indie project titled Secret of Circadia. This deckbuilder aims to be “an open love letter to the indie gaming industry – the Slay the Spires, Balatros, Hades, Stardew Valleys, Hollow Knights, and Moonlighters out there – from a pair of slightly jaded AAA developers that both grew tired of the politics and money getting in the way of the love and passion of making games.” They are seeking to raise just over $11,000 on Kickstarter to bring their vision to life, including an anti-genAI disclaimer on their campaign page.

“I think as an industry we are severely losing our way,” Rydby remarked. “It used to be passion projects that you loved and hoped other people loved too. When they did, it was such an amazing feeling. It became less and less of that. It became: ‘Let’s hope it sells. Let’s hope we get money from it.’”