The superhero genre has historically had an interesting relationship with the gaming world. Despite seemingly being perfectly suited for the AAA gaming treatment, many heroes have often been neglected in the past as the industry continually returns to reliable favorites like Spider-Man and Batman.
However, the genre's representation in the gaming space has shown some major improvements in recent years as Marvel releases blockbuster titles for the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and two different Spider-Men.
Warner Bros. has often been criticized for its handling of the DC franchise in the past as it continues to maintain an emphasis on Batman, even after four single-player titles. Since the groundbreaking release of Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, the caped crusader has been the only DC character to lead his own title.
The Injustice series showcased a step in the right direction as it took most of DC's biggest heroes and villains into a twisted alternate world within a Mortal Kombat-inspired fighting game. The LEGO Batman trilogy has also featured playable appearances from much of the comic book world.
Despite this, many fans continue to clamor for more of DC's grand arsenal of heroes to be represented in games. Batman: Arkham Knight developer Rocksteady is set to release Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in 2022, a single-player title that will see the unlikely band of villains take on the iconic league of heroes.
Meanwhile, 2022 will also see Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Montreal release Gotham Knights, a reboot of the ArkhamVerse that will allow players to become Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood as they take on the Court of Owls.
As DC finally nears its first gaming releases since 2018's LEGO DC Super-Villains, some gamers are beginning to question what the future holds after these two titles, and a new rumor appears to have revealed that.
LEAKER REVEALS FUTURE DC GAMING PLANS
The Direct recently reported that games industry leaker James Sigfield was teasing a Superman game that may be in development at WB Montreal, following indications that the developer had started work on a new title.
Several days later, the insider has returned to Twitter to report that the upcoming Gotham Knights game, which will feature a playable Bat-family taking on the Court of Owls, is expected to receive at least a year of post-launch content.
Additionally, the leaker went on to say that the studio's next title, which he previously teased to be a Superman game, won't be showcased for a while as it eyes a 2024 release at the earliest.
"Gotham Knights is going to get a years worth of post launch content (possibly more), you aren’t going to see what comes next for a while. 2024 release at the earliest."
IS DC CREATING A CONNECTED GAMES UNIVERSE?
Historically, Sigfield has shown a solid track record as a Warner Bros. Games source having previously leaked details of WB Montreal's Gotham Knights and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game months prior to their DC FanDome reveals.
If the rumored Superman title is indeed targeting a 2024 release, gamers can likely expect it to be revealed between 2022 and 2023. The two currently announced titles were first shown off at 2020's DC FanDome, over a year before their intended release dates.
The Geeks WorldWide writer previously reported the reason WB opted to reboot the Batman gaming franchise instead of proceeding with an Arkham Knight sequel was to create a connected DC Games Universe.
Should WB Montreal be moving forward with a Superman title as its next project, it's certainly one step closer to a playable Justice League game down the line, something many fans have wanted for some time. But with Bruce Wayne said to be already dead within the Gotham Knights trailer, the Justice League appears to be missing its Dark Knight
As Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League takes place in the critically acclaimed ArkhamVerse, it appears that will take place separately from any potential cohesive world, a logical move given the titular premise.
If WB Montreal is the only team that will be developing titles within this world, it will likely take some time before any kind of significant crossover is possible. However, if Gotham Knights sees great success through its launch and debut year of DLC content, WB may invest more into other teams taking on projects in this world.
It doesn't come as a huge surprise to hear there are plans for Gotham Knights to receive post-launch content. The DLC content in all four Batman: Arkham titles were highly regarded and recent reports have indicated the studio is looking to place a heavy focus on live service.
Over the years, it has become increasingly expected for AAA developers to offer free DLC within major titles, with many opting to still charge for cosmetic style options. It's unknown whether the studio will follow this option for any post-launch content, however, WB's next title, Back 4 Blood, will include paid content, strongly indicating Gotham Knights will take the same path.
Assuming the Bat-family title has a similar structure to the Arkham series, as it appears to, DLC content is likely to include new cosmetic skins, story missions, side quests, playable characters, and challenge maps.
Gotham Knights is set to release in 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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