Warner Bros. Montreal has just dropped an enticing hint from their upcoming Batman game ahead of its planned unveiling at the DC Fandome event this Saturday, as well as its rumored villains: the Court Of Owls. Having already played in the world of Gotham City with 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins, WB Montreal has been hinting at a new game centered around the Dark Knight for the past two years.
This new Batman title is said to be a reboot of Rocksteady’s excellent Arkham series, retaining the same combat and stealth gameplay that made those titles beloved by players while featuring a fresh storyline for DC’s famous Caped Crusader. These rumors have been gaining even more steam in the past few months, with the recent confirmation that WB Montreal's new game will make its first official appearance at this weekend's DC Fandome event alongside Rocksteady's upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and several upcoming DC-based films and TV shows.
Earlier today, WB Montreal added more fuel to the fire by teasing their new Batman game on Twitter. The developer’s cryptic video features a red circle moving around a ring while some kind of triangular symbol forms in the center. At some point, the screen flashes with what appears to be an owl, seemingly confirming the previous rumors that the Court of Owls will serve as the game's primary enemy. The post also contains a web address for a website named "R3dakt3d", which features the equally cryptic message of “We’ve Been Expecting You” and a timer counting down to 11 AM PT on August 18, which is possibly when another hint at WB Montreal's Batman game will be revealed.
First appearing in the pages of the New 52’s Batman #2 in 2011, the Court of Owls is a secret society of Gotham’s wealthy elite that has been operating in the shadows of the crime-plagued city since the 17th century. Unknown to the general public, the Court employs the use of personally-trained assassins, dubbed “Talons,” to enforce their control of every major aspect of society through any means necessary, which has naturally put them in conflict with Batman more than once. This fight carries a personal aspect for the Dark Knight, as it has been strongly hinted that the Court might have had a hand in the tragic murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.
This makes the Court of Owls a natural adversary for WB Montreal’s Batman game, as it could make for a gripping tale of the Dark Knight trying to unravel the mystery of what happened that terrible night in Crime Alley, as well as uncovering a long-running conspiracy in a similar vein to the Illuminati. While Warner Bros. Montreal’s postings are about as mysterious as any clues the Batman himself deals with during his nightly exploits, they certainly make the wait for the new Batman game’s official premiere at the DC Fandome event this Saturday all the more nail-biting.
Source: WB Games Montréal, R3dakt3d