At the beginning of the year, one of the biggest rumors surroundingGotham Knightsclaimed WB Games was looking to create its ownDC Games Universe, a Marvel Cinematic Universe-Esque series of connected games based on DC Comics expanded roster of heroes and villains. It was thought that WB Games would launch its next era of games with aBatman Arkhamreboot from WB Games Montreal, followed by the long-anticipated next project from Rocksteady Studios; two games that have since been revealed asGotham KnightsandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Warner Bros. DC FanDome event in August finally offered fans a first real look at both upcoming games and confirmed a number of major rumors including the playable Bat-Family, the debut of the Court of Owls, and well, the Suicide Squad. With so many of the details already seemingly confirmed via leaks beforehand, is it possible that WB Games plans for a DC Games Universe could also be something that’s about to unfold? WillGotham KnightsandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguebe the beginning of a connected DC universe, or are they standalone games with little more in common than their comic book origins?
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Gotham Knights
Outside of cryptic images on Twitter over the past year, WB Games Montreal has been relatively quiet since it releasedBatman: Arkham Originsback in 2013, makingGotham Knightsits first full game in almost a decade. Due to release on both current and next-generation platforms sometime in 2021,Gotham Knightsis a third-person cooperative action-adventure game starring the extended “Bat-Family” as they go toe-to-toe withthe infamous Court of Owls, a secret underground society that has been running Gotham City from the shadows for centuries.
Set within its own continuity, separate from WB Games Montreals previous work in theBatman Arkhamseries,Gotham Knightswill is a standalone original story. The game’s reveal trailer at DC FanDome set-up theapparent death of Bruce Wayneand Police Commissioner Jim Gordan, forcing Nightwing, Bat-Girl, Red Hood, and Robin, to team up in an effort to bring justice to Gotham after widespread corruption took hold of the city and the GCPD. It was also revealed that Gotham Knights will support two-player cooperative play throughout the entire game, and a number of fan-favorite characters from DC Comics will make an appearance including Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Freeze, the new GCPD Captain Renee Montoya, and the Court of Owls who first debuted in the New 52 Batman series.
Rather than starting fresh withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguelike WB Games Montreal is doing withGotham Knightsto avoid being tied to existing continuity, Rocksteady Studios has chosen to double-down on its legacy confirmingSuicide Squadwill be set in the same universe as itsBatman Arkhamseries. Described as an “action-adventure shooter,“Suicide Squadis confirmed for next-gen platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a tentative release window of 2022. The game has been designed with multiplayer in mind, however, and similar toGotham KnightsandMarvel’s Avengers, can be played entirely solo with four playable characters available at launch including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. There’s no word on whether or notSuicide Squadwill get more characters post-launch.
As for the game’s story,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguetakes place in Superman’s home city of Metropolis sometime after the events ofBatman: Arkham Knight. Amanda Waller has sent the Suicide Squad to investigate an attack on Metropolis and kill the Alpha Target, which appears to be Super-Man. The game’s reveal trailer at DC FanDome confirmed that DC Comics villainBrainiac is behind the attack on Metropolis.It should go without saying that based on the game’s full title, players are going to find themselves up against more than just the Man of Steel. Unfortunately, right now there’s only been one trailer for the game, meaning little else is known about the game including which Justice League heroes will be in the game.
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Is WB Building A DC Games Universe?
Now back to the original question at hand: Is WB Games building a connected DC Games Universe? Unfortunately, the answer, at least right now, appears to be no. Unless Warner Bros. has unannounced plans to expand its roster of developers now thatAT&T is no longer selling its video game division, without expanding into the DC multiverse and introducing more than two developers, those rumors of a DC Games connected universe are likely false, given they are separate continuities.
Rather than continue on fromBatman: Arkham Knight, WB Games Montreal chose to create its own original story about the Bat-Family, setting upGotham Knightsas a standalone game. And on the side of the coin, Rocksteady Studios doubled down on what it created and chose to setSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguein the same universe as theBatman Arkhamseries. It certainly would have been a really interesting idea and something that would be great to see in the future, but for right now,Gotham KnightsandSuicide Squadare entirely separate games that share a familiar DC Comics origins and an intense level of excitement from fans.
Gotham Knightsreleases on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
