Gotham Knights is an action-adventure title currently set for release in 2021 that is being developed by WB Games Montreal and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Those names will ring a bell for many Batman fans out there, as WB Games Montreal developed Batman: Arkham Origins. After years of rumors about a new “Batman” game, the first trailer and details of the game were revealed in August 2020 showing no connection to the Batman: Arkham series and is currently set for release in 2021. With the recent delay of Hogwarts Legacy to 2022, however, the game could face a delay.
With the initial reveal of Gotham Knights back in August, fans learned some key details about the title. It will feature an open-world, without Batman, where players can choose to take on the role of Batgirl, Robin, Nightwing or Red Hood in solo or co-operative play. A host of Batman villains are expected to appear, with The Court of Owls set to be the main antagonists, but since these first details broke, fans haven’t heard much more official news from the Warner Bros. camp. The relative silence the past few months, coupled with other factors, supports the idea that Gotham Knights might not see release in 2021.
An important factor which can’t be ignored is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its impact has been felt across the gaming industry, along with many others, and has resulted in the delay of games from various publishers. Far Cry 6, The Medium, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits are just some notable titles that have been delayed, directly because of the pandemic. Remote working conditions, necessitated by the global health crisis, have been cited by teams as a key reason for slowed development, and the breadth of development teams whose work has been affected means that no group is immune to the possibility of delays.
With this in mind, Warner Bros. has shown it’s willing to move release dates when needed. Hogwarts Legacy, which was originally set for 2021, has now been pushed back to an unspecified date in 2022. No reason for the delay was specified beyond the team needing some more time to make it as good as it can be. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was also pushed from its original release of October 20, 2020, to a more vague window of Spring 2021. These are informative moves which tell fans that if more development time is required, Warner Bros. isn’t opposed to shuffling launch dates for its gaming properties.
Other than the COVID-19 pandemic and the willingness of Warner Bros. to move release dates, the silence is telling. Fans learned a lot from the Gotham Knights reveal trailer and comments from the development team, but since there has been little new information made available about the upcoming action-RPG. A lack of information flow could be taken that the developer is quietly working on its new project or that the title may be at risk of being delayed. Without communication from the team updating players about the game’s progress, it’s difficult to determine the risk factor.
Despite the relative quietness from WB Games Montreal and other facts which may point to Gotham Knights being postponed, there is ample reason to believe that this won’t happen. WB Games Montreal didn’t set a specific release date for the game, and only publicly stated that it would see release in 2021. The new year is still in its very early stages, and as such, the team still have a significant amount of time to complete its work. Warner Bros. could set a December launch for Gotham Knights if it needed the time, and it would still be fulfilling their promise of it being in player’s hands in 2021. This potentially lends credibility to the idea that development is moving along and that Warner Bros. is keeping its updates infrequent for the time being.
It could be argued that it’s also in the best interest of the publisher to keep the release date within 2021. Rocksteady Studios, the famed developers of the main Batman: Arkham series, are working on its next game in the same continuity, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. This new Arkhamverse game is scheduled to be released in 2022 and contains a lot of common elements with Gotham Knights. The Suicide Squad game is set to feature co-operative multiplayer in an open-world, with four playable characters in the form of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang.
If Gotham Knights were to be released within a similar timeframe, it’s possible it would impact sales of both titles due to their inherent similarities. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League could potentially outperform Gotham Knights as well. Rocksteady Studios is considered a premier developer of DC Comics games and their name value alone could elevate the popularity of the Suicide Squad game. Additionally, the anti-heroes of the Suicide Squad have been very popular in the past few years, especially Harley Quinn, due to their presence in DC Comics films. The upcoming Suicide Squad film will possibly be responsible for another surge in popularity for the franchise as well.
There is legitimate cause for concern among fans that Gotham Knights will wind up being delayed. Gamers have seen a spate of delays due to COVID-19 and Warner Bros. have displayed a willingness to postpone if necessary. Despite this, 2021 is still in its very early stages and it could be taken that WB Games Montreal is working on its game and have nothing new to update players with. Time will tell. but as of right now, there isn’t enough information for fans to make a prediction.
Gotham Knights is currently set for release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2021.
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