Superhero fans hoping to fight crime in the DC Universe are in luck next year. WB Games Montreal’sGotham Knightsand Rocksteady’sSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueare currently set to hit shelves in 2022. Both games will have four playable characters and share another interesting trait — they areBatman-adjacent games without Batman.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewill focus on Harley Quinn and the rest of Task Force X’s attempts to bring down anevil version of Superman.Gotham Knightswill see Batgirl, Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing take on the Court of Owls. Here’s why neither game will have Batman operating in their own universes, but also why game studios may be interested in letting the Dark Knight sit tight for some time.
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For a game subtitledKill the Justice League, Batman’s appearance in the upcomingSuicide Squadgame seems unlikely.Kill the Justice Leaguewill be set in Rocksteady’s Arkham universe, so a few ret-cons have already taken place. Deadshot has a different design than the one seen inArkham Originsand theAssault on Arkhamanimated movie. King Shark also appears to be back and redesigned after his particularly gruesome death inAssault on Arkham, where he falls victim to one of the Squad’s explosive collars.
One element unlikely to be retconned, however, is Batman’s retirement at the end ofArkham Knight. The lastArkhamgame saw Batman’s identity revealed to Gotham City, leading him to activate “Knightfall Protocol,” faking both his death andAlfred Pennyworth’s. ThoughArkham Knight’s secret ending hints at either Batman’s return or his replacement, its more likely that this is an intentionally ambiguous ending or will be dealt with in a futureArkham,game rather than a spin-off likeSuicide Squad.
Rocksteady has some particularly good reasons to leave Batman behind after theending toArkham Knight. TheArkhamgameshelped define Batman in gaming. They set the standard for combat, storytelling, and created a rough aesthetic continuity betweenBatman: The Animated Seriesand the Arkhamverse that included many returning voice actors. Though Rocksteady has the best shot of any studio when it comes to continuing Batman’s story, it has also establishedArkham’s version of Harley Quinn as a strong enough character to carry a game in her own right.
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Gotham Knights And The Future Of Batman Games
WB Games Montreal developedArkham Origins, butGotham Knightsshares a lot in common with theArkhamgames despite being set in a different continuity. In this universe, Bruce Wayne was recently killed in an explosion, leaving the other members of the Bat Family to protect Gotham from old supervillains and a mysterious new group called the Court of Owls.
TheGotham Knightsuniverse would likely struggle to include Batman while trying to forge an identity distinct from the Arkhamverse, so the focus on secondaryBatmancharacters is likely a smart move. The question forBatmanfans, however, is when (if ever) they’ll get to play as Batman himself again.
For now, the answer is unclear. There are no confirmed upcoming games with Batman as the main character. With the cancellation ofBen Affleck’sBatmanmoviethe character is going through a tumultuous time. Though it was based largely on the animated show,Arkham Asylum’s release just a year after theDark Knightwas no coincidence.
Similarly, the release of aSuicide Squadgame afterMargot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinnonscreen has undoubtedly influenced the decision to makeKill the Justice Leaguenow.Fans may have to wait until Batman undergoes a similar revival before a new game series can bring back Bruce Wayne and stick the landing. With Robert Pattinson set to portray the character inThe Batmanand Michael Keaton returning as Bruce Wayne inThe Flash, however, fans may be in luck.
Gotham Knightswill release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X in 2022.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewill release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X in 2022.
