WB Games has two DC titles that feature Batman characters arriving in the coming years in Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but WB Games Montréal's canceled Damian Wayne game - also known as "Project Sabbath" - sounded much more exciting. Following the release of Batman: Arkham Origins, Montréal began work on a number of different projects. One of them, reportedly, acted as a sort of sequel to Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Knight and would've revolved around Damian Wayne as a futuristic Caped Crusader in a dystopian version of Gotham City, similar to the Batman #666 one-shot comic from Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, but with elements of Batman Beyond. Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad both look interesting in their own respective ways, but a Damian-fronted Batman game could've been more unique.
WB Games Montréal is said to have focused on a number of different projects following the release of Batman: Arkham Origins in 2013, initially on a Suicide Squad game, which would've built on plot threads established in the Arkham prequel. The studio also developed Batman: Arkham Knight's Batgirl DLC, before eventually moving onto the Damian Wayne Batman title and then - when that was canceled - ultimately Gotham Knights. A selection of concept art ostensibly developed for the Damian project has emerged since its cancelation, showcasing a unique new Batsuit, a dilapidated Gotham City, and new and unique interpretations of classic Batman villains like Two-Face and Black Mask.
Both Montréal's Gotham Knights and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League look like interesting depictions of the DC mythos, but the rumors surrounding the Damian Wayne project and what it would've entailed, plus the concept art that has been leaked, paints the picture of a unique and inventive Batman video game that could've showcased a whole new interpretation of the Caped Crusader. This isn't to say that Gotham Knights nor Suicide Squad lack unique premises, but rather that "Project Sabbath" looked to be a bold departure from the expected norm of Batman video games. By blending Batman Beyond with Morrison and Kubert's original vision for Damian as Batman, Montréal could've taken the Batman: Arkham series in a new and unexpected direction, and one that may have arguably been more fitting than Rocksteady's Suicide Squad.
Canceled Damian Game Would've Showcased A New Batman
WB Games Montréal's Damian Wayne Batman title was rumored throughout 2016 but its existence was corroborated by Jason Schreier for Kotaku that same year, in a story that also revealed that the studio's Suicide Squad game had been abandoned. The report didn't reveal any major details surrounding the game, apart from its protagonists. Most of the information that has been revealed about the defunct project has come via concept art purported to have been made during the title's development, the most recent of which emerged in late 2021, and depicted an old Bruce Wayne after Batman: Arkham Knight, implying that he may have been Damian's mentor.
Other concept art supposedly belonging to the project showcased a much different Gotham to the one players saw in Arkham Knight. The city is in a state of disrepair, similar to the version depicted in the aforementioned Morrison and Kubert comic, which had its own apocalyptic theme. Art also shows what looks to be Batman riding a Batcycle, which was reported to have been a main gameplay mechanic in the title, replacing the divisive Batmobile from Batman: Arkham Knight. Motorcycles have carried over into Gotham Knights though, which may provide a decent indication of how the vehicles would've handled in the canceled Damian project.
Perhaps most interesting, though, is the concept art of the canceled Damian Wayne Batman game's villains. These images first emerged in 2019, and showcased new versions of Two-Face, Black Mask, White Rabbit, Gorilla Grodd, and what appears to be a reimagining of Duela Dent, aka the Joker's daughter (although others have speculated that the character in question was a redesigned Poison Ivy). These hint at the direction of WB Games Montréal's title, and how it may have had a drastically different rogues gallery compared to the kind seen in previous Batman: Arkham and DC video games. It could've made for a refreshing change of pace as opposed to seeing Bruce Wayne fight the Joker or Mister Freeze again in Gotham Knights, and this is without even knowing some of the other gameplay flourishes the studio may have added to the Arkham formula.
Gotham Knights & Suicide Squad Are Cool, But Damian Looked Cooler
Both WB Games Montréal's Gotham Knights and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League look like they could be exciting additions to DC's library of video games, but the few glimpses provided of the canceled Damian Wayne title shows that it had real potential. Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad each have unique premises, with the former focusing on the Bat Family following Bruce Wayne's death, and the latter seeing Task Force X take down a Brainiac-controlled Justice League. Both games, however, still operate within that traditional sphere of classic DC depictions; Gotham Knights features the most famous of Batman's former sidekicks in a familiar-looking Gotham, while Suicide Squad is opting for the "Superman as a villain" trope seen in games like Injustice: Gods Among Us. The Damian Wayne game - or at the very least its concept art - showcases a version of the DC Universe that hasn't been depicted outside of the comics, and may have made for a more unique experience than Montréal and Rocksteady's upcoming releases.
This is, of course, all hypothetical, and there's every chance that the Damian Wayne game encountered problems during development that led to its cancellation, as opposed to Warner Bros. opting for a Batman game with a more familiar setting. Elements of the scrapped Damian title even appear to feature in Gotham Knights' motorcycles, which would've supposedly been the futuristic Dark Knight's main method of transportation. There's also the chance that WB could one day return to the Damian Wayne concept, should Gotham Knights prove successful. While not as much of a departure as the Damian title in terms of premise, Gotham Knights is a Batman game without playable Batman in it, and could even open the door to other, less traditional Batman video games getting made in the future. Its premise is still unique when compared to the other Batman games that have been made over the last several decades, and should hopefully demonstrate that the Dark Knight's supporting characters are just as capable of leading a game of their own.
Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League should help mitigate the loss of WB Games Montréal's canceled Damian Wayne Batman title, but in terms of their premise, neither represent as exciting a break from the norm as "Project Sabbath". From what little has been revealed, the Damian Wayne game looked like it would've reinvented the traditional aesthetic of the Batman: Arkham games, and spotlighted a version of the Caped Crusader the gaming medium is currently yet to deliver. A title with a similarly unique premise may yet arrive one day, but for now, DC fans will have to be content with the more traditional interpretations coming in 2022 and beyond.
Source: Kotaku