Similar to how Rocksteady started developing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League some time after Batman: Arkham Knight, it was always assumed that WB Games Montreal was going to be given another DC-related property to work on after Batman: Arkham Origins. Gotham Knights was initially delayed from its release window of 2021 into 2022, and has now been given a seemingly firm release date of October 25, 2022. In what appears to be a fateful coincidence, this release date coincides with a significant anniversary for WB Games Montreal.
RELATED: Warner Bros Announces Gotham Knights Release Date
Gotham Knights and Arkham Origins Share the Same Release Date
Batman: Arkham Origins originally launched on October 25, 2013. The launch of Gotham Knights will also mark the ninth anniversary of Batman: Arkham Origins, barring any unexpected delays that may occur. Batman: Arkham Origins put WB Games Montreal on the map in terms of its rise as a new developer, and subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive. However, Gotham Knights will be the first title WB Games Montreal has shipped since Batman: Arkham Origins, which makes the shared release dates that much more special and memorable.
Because both games share a release date anniversary, there is inherently a bond between the two, and it might be impossible to resist comparing them. Batman fans have also been longing for another game since Rocksteady’s final entry, Batman: Arkham Knight. Gotham Knights will have some insurmountable expectations to meet. Fortunately for WB Games Montreal, Gotham Knights is intended to be a very different experience that can stand on its own.
Indeed, it is preferable for WB Games Montreal to get an authentic stab at a DC property that is not contingent on another developer’s established continuity or development build, as was the case with Batman: Arkham Origins, retreading the structural foundations of Batman: Arkham City. Instead, Gotham Knights allows WB Games Montreal to establish its own unique identity with a title that is unrelated to Rocksteady’s formula and Batman as a playable protagonist.
RELATED: Gotham Knights Developer Working on New Project
Gotham Knights Might Not Take Much Influence from Arkham Origins
Interestingly, it does not look like Gotham Knights will be drawing too much, if at all, from Batman: Arkham Origins gameplay-wise, besides its grapnel gun perch traversal. Even the combat looks largely different from the single gameplay presentation Gotham Knights showcased, especially since it is reportedly introducing action-RPG builds and gear perks that have not been fully disclosed thus far. This is also likely due to its emphasis on cooperative two-player multiplayer.
It is arguable that Batman: Arkham Origins did little to innovate from Batman: Arkham City in terms of gameplay, aside from its addition of Deathstroke’s remote claw gadget and Electrocutioner’s shock gloves. Batman: Arkham Origins featured different multiplayer modes, with players taking on the role of Batman, Robin, and thugs affiliated with either Bane or Joker. However, no such modes have been teased for Gotham Knights, while its entire narrative experience has been marketed as a single-player or multiplayer co-op experience, depending on how fans wish to play.
Whether players enjoyed WB Games Montreal’s take on Rocksteady’s established series or not, Gotham Knights has shown off a number of flashy gadgets and unique character traits that dissociate it from any of the larger comparisons. Further, it is clear that WB Games Montreal is making a conscious choice to create this delineation and revel in the authenticity of its own IP.
That said, it will be exciting to see how much the developer has learned since Batman: Arkham Origins nine years ago. If Gotham Knights becomes its own Batman: Arkham in terms of a dedicated franchise with multiple installments, WB Games Montreal could introduce other interesting characters from the mythos for players to explore, and choose different narratives for sequels that challenge each of its playable protagonists.
Gotham Knights releases on October 25, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: Gotham Knights: How Each Character’s Gear and Gadgets Can Make Them Unique
