Gotham Knights, the upcoming co-op game set in the Batman universe previously slated for a 2021 release, has now been delayed to 2022. The new co-op title from WB Games Montreal was expected to release sometime this year after a grand unveiling in Summer 2020, but the developer says that Gotham Knights will need more time until it's ready to launch.
Gotham Knights will be the first title from WB Montreal in nearly a decade by the time it releases, as the studio has bounced between numerous projects since Batman: Arkham Origins released in 2013. At one point, the studio was reportedly working on a Suicide Squad game that would've fulfilled Batman: Arkham Origins' post-credits teaser, but the project was axed at some point. Now, Gotham Knights is its focus. The new co-op title was meant to release this year alongside Hogwarts Legacy, which was also recently delayed to 2022.
Gotham Knights will now be joining the Harry Potter game in its vague 2022 release window. WB Games broke the news of the Gotham Knights delay via Twitter with a brief message, reading:
"We are giving the game more time to deliver the best possible experience for players. Thank you to our amazing fans for your tremendous support of Gotham Knights. We look forward to showcasing more of the game in the coming months."
The delay leaves WB with only two titles for 2021 now, Back 4 Blood and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This leaves the publisher with a stacked 2022 release schedule, and it's not entirely unlikely for other games to be announced before the end of the year. Should there be no further delays, Gotham Knights will be one of two DC titles to arrive in 2022, now coming alongside Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It's been stated that the two games won't cross over in any meaningful way, though, as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be set in the Batman: Arkham universe while Gotham Knights is decidedly not.
The delay comes as a surprise since Gotham Knights looked (perhaps deceptively) close to completion in its first gameplay showing. An earlier Gotham Knights PlayStation Store listing indicated it could release as soon as June 2021, but it seems that there were either sudden, unexpected hitches in development or that the listing was outright incorrect. Recent WB Games job listings also indicated that marketing was gearing up for Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy, suggesting to some that solid release dates for each were imminent. It's entirely possible these delays aren't massive and both games release in the first few months of 2022, but Warner Brothers hasn't offered a release window, likely so that it doesn't have to publicly confirm a delay should it once again come to that.
Gotham Knights will be available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in 2022.