In a post on the official Rocksteady Ltd website, a blog post details how co-founders and studio heads Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker are exiting the company. The emotional post includes some stunning praise from their co-workers, highlighting their passion and care for the fans of their games.
Both Jamie and Sefton make mention of the amazing history that they have been part of for the last 18 years, even pointing out some of the lesser known games of the past that didn’t star a bat-person – such as Urban Chaos:
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. 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.
They close out their letter with a confident statement that their successors are perfectly suited to the task to take the studio even further:
Nathan and Darius have proved their passion and skill at Rocksteady over many years. They are veterans of our industry and we know their commitment to Rocksteady and their talent and energy will take the team to even greater heights. We couldn’t be happier that they are leading the future here and wish them all the very best.
It is a somewhat sudden and curious case to behold. Given the close(ish) proximity to the release of their newest title, one can only imagine that the reasoning must be straight forward enough – even questioning if it has anything to do with the ongoing strangeness with WarnerMedia shopping around for buyers on both the studio and the IP that they held. Even with reports of the sale frenzy now having died down (and some reports that the gaming division is actually over-performing) we can only assume that it was the right decision to make for both founders.
As with all staff changes of this magnitude, the question will now be asked: Was the success of Rocksteady entirely attributed to it’s leadership, or a greater sum of its parts?
The Arkham series is easily one of the most iconic franchises in gaming history
Whatever the reasoning or outcome, nothing will change what has been established since Rocksteady made their name as purveyors of fine interactive media. Accolades and awards line what they have done, and it may take a real solid effort to squander the goodwill that their fans have come to take comfort in. It will be worth keeping an eye on what Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker do next, whether it is a collaborative effort or solo projects – perhaps even outside of the sphere of video game development.
Are you a big Rocksteady fan? Are you looking forward to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
