A surprising move after Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
The Batman: Arkham franchise isn’t as dead as we thought, with Warner Bros Games today announcing a new entry in the beloved series.
The new game, titled Batman: Arkham Shadow, will be the franchise’s second VR-focused entry. It has been developed by Camouflaj, the makers of Iron Man VR, who are part of the Meta-owned Oculus Studios.
This isn’t the first time that a company outside of Rocksteady, which originated the Arkham franchise, has been allowed to play in this universe. Although Rocksteady did make 2016’s Arkham VR, it was WB Games Montreal that made 2013’s Arkham Origins.
Batman: Arkham Shadow’s official description simply says: “Evil stalks the streets. Gotham City is in danger. And you’re the only one who can save it. Prepare to enter Gotham for a new story set in the Batman: Arkham franchise.”
Check out the trailer below to get your first taste of the action! This short teaser is a bit more rat-focused than you might be expecting.
This news comes as something of a surprise after the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. That Rocksteady-developed multiplayer game was set in the Arkham universe, and it resulted in a not-so-happy ending for DC’s Dark Knight.
Our assumption here is that Batman: Arkham Shadow is probably set at a different point in the timeline, perhaps slotting into the chronology between Arkham Knight and the Suicide Squad game.
This, or shunting the action to another corner of the multiverse, would allow the developers from Camouflaj to tell their own story without treading on Rocksteady’s toes.
The developers from Camouflaj said on their website: “We aim to deliver an authentic new entry in the celebrated Arkham franchise, something that the series’ millions of fans will know is no easy feat.
“The prospect of adding a new chapter to such a storied franchise is exhilarating. (And it’s been a lot of fun.) We are committed to building upon the beloved foundation laid by the legendary team at Rocksteady, and driven to do it justice.
“From the start, Batman: Arkham Shadow is being crafted to be the ultimate VR game and take full advantage of Meta Quest 3. Leaning into our eight years of dedicated VR game development history has enabled us to not only create a distinctly Arkham-feeling game but done in a way that leverages the immersive magic only VR can provide.”
The release date for Arkham Shadow has not been confirmed, but the official materials tell us to expect it in “late 2024”. The game is launching as a Meta Quest 3 exclusive. We’ll bring you more Bat-news as we hear it!
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