Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker – who helped create the Batman Arkham series, as well as the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – are leaving the studio for a “new adventure in gaming”.
In an open letter, the chairman of Warner Bros. Interactive’s David Haddad said, “With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League nearing completion, they have both decided to leave Rocksteady at the end of 2022 and will begin a new adventure in gaming.” We do not yet know what this new adventure will be.
It’s not just a major shift in direction for the company, but on the creative side, with Hill having directed all of Rocksteady’s Arkham games, as well as Suicide Squad. Hill and Walker will be replaced by Nathan Burlow as studio head and Darius Sadeghian as studio product manager. It’s unclear who, if anyone, will take the reins as director of the upcoming Suicide Squad game.
A message from Jamie & Sefton “We wanted you Rocksteady fans to hear it first; we have decided to leave Rocksteady… From the day we founded the company until today, Rocksteady has been our life and our soul.”https://t.co/3ZRs1NMom2 pic.twitter.com/98I6YOgZrY
— Rocksteady Studios (@RocksteadyGames) October 26, 2022
The couple released a statement on their departure, which you can read in full below:
The couple leaves behind a major legacy. Batman: Arkham Asylum was considered a turning point for licensed gaming, not to mention a great moment in mainstream action game design, and launched a beloved series. We’ve named Batman: Arkham City one of the top 100 games of all time.
Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League will be set in the same universe and arrive next year, ending what will be a seven-year wait for a new Rocksteady game (after 2016’s Batman: Arkham VR).
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