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Tag: Studio management

  • Suicide Squad director says development became driven by spreadsheets, not game design

    The world of video games is often a battlefield between artistic vision and financial strategy. Recently, the fallout from one of these battles in the gaming industry has brought a stark lesson into sharp focus: the temptation to prioritize monetization over genuine game design.

    This theme is particularly relevant when looking at the journey of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Developed by Rocksteady, a studio celebrated for crafting immersive single-player experiences like the Batman Arkham series, the project represented a major pivot toward a live-service multiplayer model. The ambition was high, but the execution ultimately faced significant headwinds.

    Despite years of development and multiple delays, the game launched in 2024, leading to considerable disappointment among fans who sought the quality they expected. Financial realities soon set in; WB Games recorded a substantial $200 million loss on the project, forcing Rocksteady to reassess its direction.

    The shift from crafting masterful gameplay experiences to chasing revenue proved costly. As executives focused heavily on recouping investment through monetization rather than pursuing artistic excellence, the core mission of the studio began to drift.

    Axel Rydby, who was involved in the development of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and joined Rocksteady in 2018, offered a candid look into this internal struggle. In an interview with Bloomberg, Rydby revealed how priorities fundamentally changed over time.

    “Over time, and after being delayed from 2022 to 2024, the priorities of the executives shifted toward recouping their investment,” Rydby explained. “That’s when I started feeling like I wasn’t making games anymore. 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.”

    This realization highlights a critical tension: the temptation to treat game development as an exercise in market management rather than creative exploration. For many, the pursuit of profit can easily overshadow the pursuit of true innovation.

    Following this period, Rydby made the decision to leave Rocksteady and establish his own independent studio, where he is now working on ambitious projects like Secret of Circadia. While Rocksteady has remained silent about its next move, whispers suggest the team may be exploring a return to the single-player Batman game format.

    Ultimately, the experience serves as a reminder that while stunning visuals and cinematic moments can draw attention, they do not guarantee a successful product. The market’s reaction underscores a broader truth: exceptional design must be rooted in creative vision, not simply guided by financial spreadsheets.

    Credit: KitGuru

  • After leading the studio through 2 rounds of layoffs and 1 game release, the CEO of Supermassive is stepping down

    The chapter on leadership at Supermassive Games is closing, marking a significant shift for the studio as its CEO, Robert Henrysson, steps down from both the helm of Supermassive Games and his role at parent company Nordisk Games.

    This transition comes less than two months after the launch of their latest title, Directive 8020, a release that showcased the studio’s resilience and ambition amidst complex industry demands.

    In a farewell message, Henrysson reflected on his tenure, emphasizing the collective nature of success. He credited the entire team for guiding the studio through intense industry changes, expanding its client base, and maintaining an unwavering culture of quality throughout the development process. He aptly summed up his experience by calling Supermassive Games the greatest storytelling game studio on earth.

    Beyond leading Supermassive, Henrysson’s influence extended across the broader gaming landscape. Prior to his role at Supermassive, he served in a broad operational capacity, acting as Chairman and Interim CEO of Avalanche Studios Group, supporting various portfolio companies through periods of considerable change.

    His time steering Supermassive was defined by major milestones. He successfully rebuilt the studio’s leadership team, sharpened its strategic direction, and oversaw the highly acclaimed completion and launch of Directive 8020. Although the game received a mixed user rating on Steam, critical reception was overwhelmingly positive. Nordisk praised Directive 8020 for earning the strongest critical reception in the series to date, reflecting the hard work of the entire Supermassive Games team.

    This period of achievement coincided with broader turbulence facing the video game industry. In the lead-up to and following Directive 8020, Henrysson led Supermassive through two separate rounds of layoffs. These reductions occurred in February 2024 and again in July 2025, underscoring the challenging economic climate many executives faced.

    While the industry faced difficult fiscal realities, Henrysson maintained an openness to new opportunities. Despite planning time with his family this summer, he indicated a willingness to explore future paths, remaining open to taking on selected advisory roles and investigating what comes next in the creative sphere.

    Credit: PC Gamer

  • Ori director says Game Pass needs “smash hits,” not studios slopping out mediocre content

    The world of gaming is currently navigating some choppy waters, and the heavy business realities are starting to surface for major players like Xbox. Amidst the usual hype and innovation, the company is undergoing significant restructuring that signals a shift in how it plans to deliver its massive subscription service.

    Recent news has highlighted some serious internal adjustments, specifically the decision to close several game development studios. This move is part of a larger effort by Microsoft to streamline operations and focus resources, which necessarily involves tough choices regarding content and studio management.

    Among the studios slated for closure are established names like Ninja Theory and Double Fine. Furthermore, titles such as Compulsion and others are reportedly facing uncertainty as part of a wider wave of layoffs implemented across the organization.

    These actions underscore a strategic pivot: Xbox is clearly recalibrating its focus, aiming to ensure that its flagship service, Game Pass, continues to deliver the high-quality content its subscribers expect. The implication is clear—the push for success will depend heavily on securing those smash hits necessary to maintain momentum.

    The adjustments signal a demanding environment in the competitive gaming landscape. While development decisions are often complex, these changes put a spotlight on how large corporations manage creative talent and content pipelines to ensure long-term viability. The future of Xbox and its ecosystem now rests on successfully balancing business demands with creative ambition.

    Credit: TechSpot