Rocksteady Studios co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker are leaving the studio that they started 18 years ago, at the end of 2022. WB Games president David Haddad shared a statement regarding their departure on the Rocksteady website, explaining that Nathan Burlow, director of production and founding member, will take over as studio director in their stead. Darius Sadeghian will also step up as studio product director. Rocksteady Studios is most known for the Batman: Arkham franchise and the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
“Our decision to leave Rocksteady was emotional to say the least! From the day we founded the company in 2004 all the way to today, Rocksteady has been our life and soul,” said Hill and Walker in a prepared statement. “It has given us the opportunity to do what we love most: make great games with exceptionally talented people. We are so proud of the team here for the games we have all made together, from our first game Urban Chaos, to the much-loved Arkham series, and now the epic Suicide Squad.”
Hill and Walker are leaving behind a legacy of games that rocked the gaming world with Batman stories that stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the Caped Crusader’s best. Now, however, the studio will continue work on its first major video game since Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Haddad says the supervillain team-up game is “nearly finished,” adding that co-founders Hill and Walker are leaving Rocksteady Studios at the end of 2022 and then will “begin a new adventure in gaming.”
“I am very passionate and honored for the opportunity to continue the leadership of Rocksteady with Darius,” Burlow said. “My goal is to support our talented, hardworking team, retaining the heart and amazing culture of the studio. We are looking forward to building upon our successes with the upcoming release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and our future games.”
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is currently slated to launch in spring 2023. Stay tuned for more updates on its release date as well as what Hill and Walker will be up to next.
