Batman has left a huge mark on the gaming industry, with theArkhamseries essentially reviving the hero genre. It’s indirectly responsible for titles likeSpider-Man, Marvel’s Avengers, and far more, thanks to its popularity. Directly, theBatman Arkhamseriesis responsible for two upcoming games:Gotham KnightsandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Interestingly enough, it shares a canon timeline withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League—where Batman is believed to be dead. He’s dead inGotham Knightsas well—although some fans doubt this because he is Batman after all—and yet WB Games Montreal is insistent he is. In fact, creative director Patrick Redding spoke at a San Diego Comic-Con, discussing Batman’s fate as well as Joker’s.
RELATED:Gotham Knights Character Spotlight Shows New Batgirl Gameplay
During SDCC (as reported by IGN), Redding reiterates thatBatman is “really dead” inGotham Knights.The Dark Knight apparently dies within the first ten minutes of the game, setting up the plot for players to take over as one ofGotham Knights’characters (Batgirl, Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood), and will remain dead at the end of the game. One fan asked if Joker was inGotham Knights,with Redding confirming he was not.
On the one hand, it makes sense to not featureJoker if Batman is really dead, but on the other hand, it would have been nice to see the game flesh outJoker’s relationship with Batgirl and Red Hood. For fans of the clown, however, Redding would continue on to say that he would “not confirm or deny whether Harley is.”
Of course, volunteering this information would suggest that Harley appears inGotham Knightsin some capacity. This makes her one of the most recurring characters across WB’s DC video games. She not only appears in theBatman: Arkhamseries, but she’s playable inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueand is seemingly inGotham Knightstoo. It specifically remains to be seen how big of a role she plays, but whether it’s minor or major, perhaps it’ll explain why Joker isn’t there.
It should be said thatGotham Knightshas been focusing on its heroes as of late, but many fans may want more information on its villains. There are known to be five major enemy factions in the game, and fans have seen Penguin, Mr. Freeze, the primary antagonist The Court of Owls and their talons, but that’s about it. There’s certainly plenty of time to show off whom the heroes will face before the game launches in October though.
Gotham Knightsis scheduled to release on October 25 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Gotham Knights DLC Should Focus on Damian Wayne and the League of Assassins
