Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a big swing and a miss for Warner Bros. Due to this, it looks like the studio’s next game will rely on its main strength: a single-player Batman adventure.
This claim comes to the gaming masses by way of Bloomberg (via VGC). As the article states, “Rocksteady is looking to return to Batman for a single-player game, but according to people familiar with the timeline, the new project is years away from landing.” While it is sad to hear the title is years away (as is the case with any new AAA title), it is heartening to hear Rocksteady will go back to what it knows best. The Batman: Arkham Trilogy is well-regarded by both critics and gamers, with its entertaining rhythm-based combat and use of Batman’s various gadgets. Too bad Arkham Origins is often forgotten in these conversations due to it being developed by WB Games Montréal.
It is not hard to see why Warner Bros. is having Rocksteady pivot back to a single-player escapade. The publisher stupidly appointed Rocksteady to develop Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a multiplayer experience filled with microtransactions and a confusing interface. Since the developer had no experience working on a live service game, it tanked, costing Warner Bros. $200 million and leading to layoffs at Rocksteady. It’s a shame the devs were punished for management’s bad decisions.
I wonder if this Batman game will be part of the Arkham universe. The name certainly holds a certain pedigree, but it could have been tainted by the Suicide Squad title. Hopefully, Rocksteady just ignores that game and continues from where it left off with Arkham Knight. Its ending certainly piqued many players’ interest. Just make the Batmobile more fun to use and add even more options to the flowing combat mechanics and the next entry will surely be successful.