Starting with Studios, the $400+ million year-over-year decline in the first quarter was primarily due to the very difficult comparison we faced in games against the success of Hogwart’s Legacy last year in the first quarter, in conjunction with the disappointing release of Suicide Squad this month, which resulted in a negative $200 million impact on EBITDA during the first quarter. EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)
It must be said that all the lights were red for the launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, with less than positive previews, equally unenthusiastic player feedback and a launch littered with bugs and bad buzz which got the better of its success. reputation. But it is above all the choice on the part of Warner Bros Games to have entrusted a service game to a studio for Rocsteady, used to open world single-player games which will undoubtedly have been the biggest mistake of this project. However, four years earlier, in 2020, Marvel’s Avengers had the same destiny: a game-service developed by Crystal Dynamics, the developers of the Tomb Raider saga.
It is rumored that Rocksteady now faces difficult questions regarding Warner Bros.’ long-term commitment. towards keeping Suicide Squad alive, knowing that the publisher has not yet communicated on the next project from the English studio. A new Batman Arkham Shadow was revealed a few days ago (a VR game developed by Camouflaj, to whom we notably owe Iron Man VR), and which is scheduled for release exclusively on Meta Quest 3, later in 2024.