A screenshot of the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been leaked online, and it confirms that the game has a battle pass system. The image, which was originally posted on 4Chan, was based on a recent test and revealed menu elements aligned with a live service title. VGC corroborated the information via an unnamed development source, who stated that while a battle pass is indeed planned for Rocksteady Studios’ upcoming title, it will be purely focused on skins and other cosmetic items.
The leaked start menu for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is similar to that of Gotham Knights in terms of how the various options are positioned on the screen. The top features a lineup of selections, which includes the aforementioned battle pass, a store, a codex to keep track of detailed lore, talents and assignable loadouts, and a squad selector. Since the game works on a four-player co-op system, it would make sense for the Squad option to help switch/choose between Task Force X’s four main characters – Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark.
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But underneath that line is an icon that appears to be an in-game currency system. VGC’s source, however, denied this speculation, noting that it was simply XP gained from playing the game, which can be dumped into skill trees to power up your characters. That said, they’ve also ensured that our band of volatile misfits won’t run low on power, which usually means less effort for upgrades. “You don’t start out frail and weak,” the source told VGC. “You start off great and it can get ridiculous, like Batman from Arkham Knight.”
For the uninitiated, Rocksteady Studios’ previous venture, Batman: Arkham Knight, was mostly based around free-flowing combat and takedowns, which eventually spilled over into special moves unlocked through a skill tree. The idea was to encourage a more variety-oriented playstyle, rather than having players mash buttons during gameplay. The story could very well be completed regardless of whether you purchased these upgrades. Think of it as an added touch that would also help make the game easier.
The left side of the Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League menu features the missions you can undertake, ranging from the story mode, a chapter select, a difficulty modifier, and a matchmaking tool, presumably meant to look for players to fill the lobby. While the developer hasn’t revealed much about the upcoming title, it has previously confirmed that the game is also playable in solo mode, with your squad members controlled by bots – as seen in the screenshot. The home menu also features a ‘Game Mode’ option, which can contain missions dedicated to cultivating easy XP.
Going down a similar live-service route to Marvel’s Avengers (2020) is a bold move, given how quickly the fan base has turned against it. Since that leak, the fans were not silent about their distaste for the included elements, which, as mentioned earlier, align with a live service model. Given Rocksteady Studios’ track record, players were hoping to see a strong narrative-driven experience grounded in the spirit of Batman, which simply adds some online functionality for good measure. However, the leak seems to suggest otherwise.
At the end of last year, Rocksteady Studios co-founders and studio heads Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker left the company. “With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League almost finished, both have decided to leave Rocksteady at the end of 2022 and will begin a new gaming adventure,” stated a letter from David Haddad, president of WB Games at the time. “We have the utmost respect and gratitude for Jamie and Sefton and we wish them all the best in their new endeavor and, like many fans, we look forward to what they do next.”
Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League is set to release on May 26th for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. It will feature the final voice acting performance of the legendary Kevin Conroy as Batman. Conroy, whose voice has become synonymous with the Caped Crusader, sadly passed away in November after a short battle with cancer.