One of the hardest things for gamers to see is a studio that was once on “top of the world” slowly falling apart and becoming a shell of its former self. We’re seeing this happening all over the place nowadays, with companies failing to capitalize on what’s important within the industry, layoffs happening due to “poor sales,” or even “overinvestments,” and so on. But the biggest one that has affected many studios is that they haven’t been able to make quality games like they used to, and Rocksteady Studios is the newest one to do that, which is where our story starts.
Currently, Rocksteady Studios is making Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, and the reception toward the game isn’t positive for various reasons. But what we’re focusing on right now is that well before the game was ever released but was still in development, the studio’s co-founders, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker, not only left the company but they’ve officially created a new studio for themselves.
It’s called Hundred Star Games, and on a company review website, they laid out the new team’s mission statement:
“Hundred Star Games is a video game start-up based in East London. Our ethos is of creating a small team of only 100 industry veterans and emerging talents, who are committed to crafting cutting-edge gaming experiences that inspire and captivate players worldwide. With innovation at our core, we’re dedicated to pushing boundaries, embracing diversity, and fostering a vibrant gaming community. Our empowering company culture is unique to the industry which encourages leadership at all levels, accountability, team support, vulnerability, and connection.”
While that’s nice to hear, we’ll have to wait a while before seeing if their first gaming title lives up to that hype.
But what is important to note is that not only did the duo leave their original company in 2022, but they’ve been hiring other Rocksteady people to come join their team! That says quite a bit, wouldn’t you say?
Now, officially, when they left the team, they noted that their latest title was in “good hands” and that the Rocksteady team was “stronger than ever.” But based on what we’re seeing now, is that really true? The game featuring the Suicide Squad might have impressive visuals, especially via the cutscenes, but the gameplay loop and other elements have gamers either worried or annoyed. Some even say the title is D.O.A. before it finally launches on February 2nd. So perhaps the founders and others felt it was best to leave before everything blew up.
