Nine-year-old Batman: Arkham Knight currently has more players than Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, but the reasons are, as usual, complex.

Kill The Justice League is now in its second official release week following an initial 3-day early access period for deluxe edition owners. The title did not bring the success that Rocksteady probably hoped for, it did not explode as some expected. Despite the launch of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and the early controversy and talk, the game has potential. For example, thanks to the exciting gameplay loop that can be expanded with new seasons and content. But it’s still hard to get started. Specifically, KTJL’s concurrent player count on Steam at launch was relatively low and is currently beaten by an older Rocksteady Batman game.

Batman: Arkham Knight has more players than Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, as fans seem to have returned to this 9-year-old game for multiple reasons.

Arkham Knight was a monumental entry into Rocksteady’s series. It seemingly closed a significant chapter in Batman’s history by leaving Gotham’s people to believe him dead after a tough battle with the Scarecrow. Whether it’s because of nostalgia or because KTJL didn’t get off to a great start, the fact that fans are reaching back for an older game speaks volumes.

Why are the numbers for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League so low?

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League currently has an overall rating of “Very Positive” on Steam. So, the game clearly has its fans. The problem is that it’s not being played enough: according to Steambase.io, there are currently 4,087 players in the game. While Rocksteady’s 9-year-old Batman: Arkham Knight has 4,391 players in the game.

These numbers may be wrong, but regardless, it’s clear that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is going to have a severe problem getting people actually to buy and play the game.

There are several reasons why KTJL’s Steam player count may be so low. The first is that the game has been advertised as being more controller-friendly and thus better suited to console gaming. Another reason could be that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League received a lot of lousy press even before its release. Things only got worse when it was revealed that it also includes live-service elements and dedicated post-release content, which comes with four separate seasons – with new characters, settings and weapons.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is an ambitious game and has had its share of controversies both before and upon release.

In fact, one of the biggest points of contention among gamers is whether KTJL takes its premise that fans will actually pull the trigger on the Justice League. In the campaign, practically all four brainwashed members are killed. Killing the Justice League, and especially Kevin Conroy’s Batman, didn’t sit well with some players. The fact that Rocksteady gave a cliffhanger to their own Arkhamverse Batman also drew some pretty heavy criticism.

Why is Batman: Arkham Knight so popular again?

It now seems likely that the Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League seasons will reverse the basic premise by “reviving” the Justice League. (This could mean that the heroes killed during the campaign were clones.) But the title’s reputation has already been damaged.

Those unhappy with Rocksteady’s new looter-shooter, or the direction the Arkhamverse hero’s story has taken, may want to jump back to happier times when the company launched Batman: Arkham Knight and gave closure to the caped crusader – one which they thought was great, while we’re at it.

In essence, Batman: Arkham Knight having a higher player count than Suicide Squad isn’t as strange as it might seem on the surface. There are several factors to consider in this scenario. It doesn’t help that Batman: Arkham Knight recently added a new Batman skin. So those who didn’t jump into the game in December to watch it were reminded of it by KTJL themselves. Overall, based on Steam numbers alone, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League isn’t in the best position right now. But a lot can change in the coming months…

Source: Steambase.io