Rocksteady Studios, known for its successful Batman: Arkham series, is reportedly planning to develop a new single-player Batman game as its next project. The Warner Bros.-owned studio recently completed work on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, with the final update for the struggling title released last month. Unlike Rocksteady’s previous narrative-driven projects, Suicide Squad faced challenges in attracting players, resulting in a significant $200 million loss for Warner Bros.
Rocksteady Looks to Revisit Batman
Information regarding the new direction comes from a Bloomberg report focusing on Warner Bros. Games. The report discusses the company’s limited lineup for 2025, underperformance under the guidance of WB executive David Haddad, and the overall landscape of its gaming studios. It indicates that Rocksteady is set to return to its roots following the disappointing reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
According to the report published on Friday, “Rocksteady is looking to return to Batman for a single-player game, but timelines suggest that this new project is still years away from being completed.”
Details about the upcoming Batman project remain undisclosed. Neither Rocksteady nor Warner Bros. has confirmed plans for a new instalment in the Batman: Arkham series. The character was last featured as an antagonist in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and also appeared in the free-to-play game MultiVersus.
Wonder Woman in Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Games/ Rocksteady
Challenges for the Wonder Woman Game
The Bloomberg report also highlights difficulties in developing a Wonder Woman game at Warner Bros. This title has reportedly been in the works for several years, costing Warner Bros. over $100 million (approximately Rs. 875 crore) before it is even expected to launch.
The game, which is being developed by Monolith Productions, known for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, underwent a reboot last year after its initial design, which included the studio’s signature Nemesis system, was scrapped in favor of a simpler action-adventure format. WB Games Montreal, who recently faced setbacks with Gotham Knights, is also assisting with the Wonder Woman project.
Rocksteady’s reported return to a single-player Batman narrative comes on the heels of the challenges faced by Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which struggled to engage players through its live service model. This online shooter represented a major investment for Warner Bros., but its disappointing performance resulted in substantial financial losses.
Initially, Rocksteady intended to support Suicide Squad with ongoing seasonal content, but in December 2024, the studio revealed that it would issue the last update in January.
Further losses for Warner Bros. included $100 million from Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions and MultiVersus, leading the gaming division to experience a total of $300 million (approximately Rs. 2,627 crore) in losses in 2024. Warner Bros. Games announced last month that development on MultiVersus would cease, confirming that its fifth season would be the last and the game will go offline on May 30.
