Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s rumored delay probably won’t change the game’s most controversial features, at least not according to some sources on the issue. Rocksteady announced a new spin-off for its beloved Batman: Arkham franchise way back in 2002, with more details about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League slowly coming forward in the years since. As its title implies, Suicide Squad will put players in the roles of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark as they are tasked with eliminating Earth’s former heroes after they fall under the control of Brainiac.
Despite this intriguing premise, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been dividing fans as of late due to plot rumors, a perceived lack of gameplay variety for Suicide Squad’s playable rogue’s gallery, and live-service elements that have started to wear thin on players in the wake of games like Marvel’s Avengers. This last part has proven to be especially controversial, with Suicide Squad getting an icy reception during this month’s PlayStation State of Play thanks to concerns about the game’s always-online requirement among other issues. As a result of this backlash, rumors of Suicide Squad being delayed past its former May 26 release date have started to emerge.
While this rumored delay is reportedly meant to address the recent controversies surrounding Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, insiders are now advising fans not to expect any major changes to the game’s alienating Battle Pass and live service elements. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier recently reiterated his past statements that the delay is only going to polish gameplay, and that the core live-service model won’t change without a major reboot of the project.
Schreier also noted that Rocksteady doesn’t have a new release date in mind for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League yet, and that the game’s development team has only been told that it will release later this year. Some rumors suggest that Suicide Squad could be pushed back into 2024, echoing the game’s previous delay from its original 2022 launch date last year.
However, this delay might not be as extensive as initial reports have claimed if it is indeed only meant to polish Suicide Squad’s third-person shooter mechanics and overall presentation. On the other hand, this means that the Battle Pass, gear system, and live-service elements will likely remain a part of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, despite these aspects raising a new wave of backlash for the once highly-anticipated Batman: Arkham spin-off.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.