Company:Rocksteady Studios
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 13 December 2004 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , England |
| Products |
|
Number of employees | 254[1] (2022) |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Games (2010–present) |
| Website | rocksteadyltd |
Rocksteady Studios Limited is a British video game developer based in London, England. Founded on 13 December 2004, the studio is best known for its work in the Batman series. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Games.
History
Rocksteady Studios was founded on 13 December 2004, by Jamie Walker and Sefton Hill, formerly employed by the previously closed Argonaut Games as creative director and head of production, respectively.[2][3] Several other Argonaut employees were also hired.[2] SCi Entertainment (later renamed Eidos) was a founding investor in the studio, holding 25.1% of the company's shares.[2][4]
Rocksteady's first release was the 2006 first-person shooter Urban Chaos, developed using the Havok engine and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. After Eidos obtained the rights to make a Batman game in spring 2007, they approached Rocksteady who presented their take on the Batman licence, and by May 2007, they had begun developing the concept of Batman, with full production beginning in September 2007.[5][6] The game's commercial and critical success led publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) to acquire an undisclosed majority stake in Rocksteady.[7][8] Eidos retained its 25.1% stake.[4] Rocksteady later became wholly owned by WBIE.[9] Arkham Asylum was followed by Batman in 2011, and Batman in 2015. Both of which received critical acclaim, though the PC version of the game, developed externally by Iron Galaxy, was panned for its technical issues at launch. The studio also experimented with developing virtual reality video games in 2016, releasing the spin-off game Batman for the PlayStation VR. Subsequently, they started working on their first unannounced original multiplayer title, but was shelved internally at some point.[10]
In August 2020, Rocksteady announced their next game titled Suicide Squad.[11] The game has been in production at Rocksteady since 2017, who had taking over development following the cancellation of the previous iteration at WB Games Montréal in late 2016. Over the course of development of seven years, the studio struggled to get the game off the ground, having very little experience in its genre, which resulted in several postponements.[10] A Suicide Squad game been teased at the end of Batman (developed by WB Games Montreal), and in the years since Batman: Arkham Knight was released, Rocksteady had been rumoured to be working on a Suicide Squad game. The Suicide Squad game is set five years after the events of Arkham Knight, and is set to be released in February 2024.[12]
At the end of 2022, co-founders Jamie Walker and Sefton Hill left Rocksteady after more than 18 years at the company and during the development of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. They formed a new company called Hundred Stars Studios in January 2024 that will consist of “only 100 industry veterans and emerging talents.”[13]
Allegations of misconduct
The Guardian reported in August 2020 that the studio had failed to address issues related to sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour that more than half of the female employees had written to the studios executives about in a November 2018 letter. Such actions had included "slurs regarding the transgendered community", "discussing a woman in a derogatory or sexual manner with other colleagues", and sexual harassment "in the form of unwanted advances, leering at parts of a woman’s body, and inappropriate comments in the office".[14] Rocksteady said to The Guardian, "In 2018 we received a letter from some of our female employees expressing concerns they had at that time, and we immediately took firm measures to address the matters that were raised. Over the subsequent two years we have carefully listened to and learned from our employees, working to ensure every person on the team feels supported. In 2020 we are more passionate than ever to continue to develop our inclusive culture, and we are determined to stand up for all of our staff."[14]
The following day, Rocksteady posted on social media what they claimed to be an "unsolicited" letter written by some of the employees who had signed the 2018 letter, disputing the claims reported in The Guardian.[15]
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Urban Chaos | PlayStation 2, Xbox | |
| 2009 | Batman | macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One[lower-alpha 1] | PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version developed by Virtuos; Nintendo Switch version ported by Turn Me Up |
| 2011 | Batman | macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One [lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] | Wii U version developed by WB Games Montréal; PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version developed by Virtuos; Nintendo Switch version ported by Turn Me Up |
| 2015 | Batman | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One[lower-alpha 3] | Harley Quinn, Red Hood, and Batgirl story DLC packs developed by WB Games Montréal; Nintendo Switch version ported by Turn Me Up |
| 2016 | Batman | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 | |
| 2024 | Suicide Squad | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S | Additional work by Sumo Digital[16] |
Notes
References
- ↑ "Stats". https://rocksteadyltd.com/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fahey, Rob (17 January 2005). "Roll Call back on track as SCi funds new development studio". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/roll-call-back-on-track-as-sci-funds-new-development-studio.
- ↑ Prell, S. (22 November 2014). "Three years later, Calendar Man reveals Arkham City easter egg". https://www.engadget.com/2014/11/22/three-years-later-calendar-man-reveals-arkham-city-easter-egg/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 MCV Staff (23 February 2010). "Eidos retains 25% stake in Rocksteady". https://www.mcvuk.com/eidos-retains-25-stake-in-rocksteady/.
- ↑ Snider, Mike (25 August 2009). "The rest of the story: 'Batman: Arkham Asylum'". http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/08/the-rest-of-the-story-batman-arkham-asylum/1.
- ↑ Graft, Kris (19 October 2009). "Rocksteady's Sefton Hill Unmasks Batman: Arkham Asylum". https://gamasutra.com/view/feature/132540/rocksteadys_sefton_hill_unmasks_.php.
- ↑ Plunkett, Luke (23 February 2010). "Warner Buys Batman: Arkham Asylum Devs". https://kotaku.com/warner-buys-batman-arkham-asylum-devs-5477933.
- ↑ Martin, Matt (23 February 2010). "Warner acquires majority stake in Rocksteady Studios". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/warner-acquires-majority-stake-in-rocksteady-studios.
- ↑ "Company". https://www.warnerbros.com/company/divisions/home-entertainment/#warner-bros-interactive-entertainment.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Schreier, Jason (January 12, 2024). "New ‘Suicide Squad’ Video Game Faces a Tough Road". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-01-12/new-suicide-squad-video-game-from-rocksteady-studios-faces-tough-road.
- ↑ Good, Owen S. (7 August 2020). "Suicide Squad game in the works from Batman Arkham maker Rocksteady". https://www.polygon.com/2020/8/7/21358467/suicide-squad-game-rocksteady-dc-fandome-announcement-ps5-xbox-one-pc.
- ↑ (in en) Rocksteady Announces Suicide Squad Game - IGN, 7 August 2020, https://www.ign.com/articles/suicide-squad-game-reveal-rocksteady, retrieved 2020-08-07
- ↑ McWhertor, Michael. "Rocksteady founders have a new, post-Suicide Squad studio". https://www.polygon.com/24040541/rocksteady-studios-founders-new-studio-hundred-star-games.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hern, Alex (August 18, 2020). "Games firm Rocksteady accused of inaction over staff harassment". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/games-firm-rocksteady-accused-of-lack-of-action-on-harassment.
- ↑ Andy Chalk (2020-08-19). "Rocksteady shares employee letter defending its response to 2018 abuse allegations" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/rocksteady-shares-employee-letter-defending-its-response-to-2018-abuse-allegations/.
- ↑ "Sumo Warrington confirms involvement in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | Sumo Digital" (in en-US). https://www.sumo-digital.com/news/sumo-warrington-confirms-involvement-in-suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league.
External links
Template:DC ComicsTemplate:Warner Bros. Discovery franchises
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