Batman Arkham Studio Co-Founders Leave Rocksteady [IGN]

Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker – who helped create the Batman Arkham series, as well as the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – are leaving the studio for a “new adventure in gaming”.

In an open letter, Warner Bros. Interactive president David Haddad said, “With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League nearly finished, they have both decided to leave Rocksteady at the end of 2022 and will begin a new adventure in gaming.” It’s not yet clear what that new adventure will be.

It’s not just a major change in leadership for the business, but on the creative side, with Hill having directed all of Rocksteady’s Arkham games, as well as Suicide Squad. Hill and Walker will be replaced by Nathan Burlow as Studio Director and Darius Sadeghian as Studio Product Director. It’s not clear who, if anyone, will take up the reins as director on the upcoming Suicide Squad game.

A message from Jamie & Sefton “We wanted you, the Rocksteady fans, to hear it first; we have decided to leave Rocksteady… From the day we founded the company all the way to today, Rocksteady has been our life & soul.”https://t.co/3ZRs1NMom2 pic.twitter.com/98I6YOgZrY

— Rocksteady Studios (@RocksteadyGames) October 26, 2022

The pair provided a statement about their departure, which you can read in full below:

The pair leave behind a major legacy. Batman: Arkham Asylum was seen as a turning point for the licensed game, not to mention a huge moment for mainstream action game design, and kicked off a beloved series. We named Batman: Arkham City one of the top 100 games of all time.

Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League will be set in the same universe, and arrives next year, ending what will be a seven-year wait for a new Rocksteady game (following 2016’s Batman: Arkham VR).

Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.