WB Games Montréal Cuts 99 Jobs Amid
Hey, gaming community—brace yourselves for some tough news out of WB Games Montréal. The studio behind Batman: Arkham Origins and Gotham Knights, and a key support player for Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, just dropped a bombshell: they’re laying off 99 workers. Announced earlier this week via a Monday videoconference, this move hits hard, especially with the holidays looming. Most of the affected folks are from Keywords, a subcontractor handling quality assurance, and it’s a big chunk of the team—WB Montréal’s got about 300 in-house staff and 240 from Keywords, so this slashes roughly a third of that subcontractor crew.
A Sudden Shift and Shattered Expectations
What stings even more? Employees say they didn’t see this coming. Earlier this year, the studio was all optimism, assuring staff there’d be plenty of projects to keep everyone busy. But fast forward to now, and the tune’s changed—they’re citing a lack of work as the reason for the cuts. Affected workers got two options: team up with counselors to hunt for new gigs over the next eight weeks, or join a recall list for potential 2026 projects. That’s a long wait, though, and not much comfort for folks staring down an uncertain holiday season. One laid-off employee told Radio Canada, “I feel stressed and depressed. I feel like the company just ruined 99 lives.” Ouch—that hits right in the feels.
The Fallout of Flops
So, what’s behind this? The finger’s pointing at two big disappointments: Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Both games tanked hard—critics weren’t kind, and sales didn’t even come close to expectations. Suicide Squad’s live-service mess was a particular sore spot; one fired worker vented to Radio Canada that better management on that project might’ve saved jobs. The timing’s brutal too—Rocksteady just pulled the plug on Suicide Squad updates this month, leaving WB Montréal’s support role dead in the water. It’s a domino effect of underperformance that’s now cost nearly 100 people their livelihoods.
What’s Next for WB Montréal?
Looking ahead, there’s a flicker of hope—or at least speculation. Word on the street (and trending on X) is that WB Games Montréal might be cooking up an unannounced DC Comics project for 2026. Could be a single-player gem to wash away the live-service taste, but with no official word, it’s just whispers for now. Still, that’s cold comfort for the 99 who won’t be around to see it through. Shoaib, this is a heavy one for cutitoy.com readers—proof the gaming industry’s volatility spares no one, even studios with a Batman-sized legacy.
What do you think, gamers? Is this a wake-up call for WB to rethink their strategy, or just another sad chapter in a rough year? Hit me with your takes—this one’s worth a convo.
