Now that DC FanDome is right around the corner, there's a lot of hype surrounding the upcoming games from DC. Eager fans will soon have new information on Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and WB Montreal's new Batman game. The two titles could help launch a video game crossover universe for DC, but they aren't the only ones.
Little is known about Rocksteady's Suicide Squad at this point, other than a poster revealed on Twitter earlier in the month and a title announcement soon after. The plot is still a mystery, much like the upcoming Batman game from WB Montreal, which is rumored to be a reboot of the popular Arkham series and feature the enigmatic Court of Owls. The two titles could help set up a in-game universe for DC, and it could work brilliantly.
Linking video games in a manner to how DC and Marvel have run their cinematic universes could work great, and it could also give DC the upper hand. DC was famously beaten to the punch by Marvel when planning and executing a cinematic universe. But, so far, Marvel games aren't connected at all. Even the Spider-Man in Marvel's Avengers and Marvel's Spider-Man isn't the same character. By uniting their newest video games under an umbrella universe, DC would set the stage for a successful run of games that could easily keep going into the next decade.
How DC Could Connect Their Video Games
Creating a video game universe for its properties could work great for DC, but how would they start to unite them? Based on what players know of WB Montreal's Batman game and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad, Batman will be featured in both. This could easily be the same version of Batman, just like how Ben Affleck's Dark Knight is in the upcoming Flash movie. If these games are in the same world, then that theoretically means the same version of Gotham will appear, opening the door for a whole cast of repeating side characters and cameos.
But Suicide Squad and Batman aren't the only two games to consider. If rumors are correct, then Injustice 3 could be appearing at DC FanDome this year. Injustice is already an established series with an established storyline, but the third installment could easily reboot everything. If DC is actually planning a crossover universe for its video games, then a reboot is the best option. Having a set of crossover AND non-crossover games would just lead to confusion. It could over-saturate the market and even cause DC's entire plan to fail.
The prospect of a DC video game crossover universe between Injustice 3, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and WB Montreal's Batman title is really exciting, and it could be a rousing success. Still, DC will have to carefully consider its planning and world-building for it all to work. Everyone should thankfully know more once DC FanDome kicks off on August 22nd.