WB Games Montréal's Gotham Knights will feature multiple Batman villains, but the Joker won't be one of them according to the game's creative director. The title is set to follow the Batman's various proteges - Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood - as they step up to protect Gotham from the Court of Owls in the aftermath of the Dark Knight's death.
The upcoming Gotham Knights is being developed by WB Games Montréal, who previously worked on the prequel to Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Origins. Although the initial trailer at the 2020 DC FanDome showcase did intrigue fans, recent gameplay and story trailers have led to some divided reactions, with complaints ranging from the combat not seeming as fluid as the kind seen in the Batman: Arkham series, to some of the character models looking off when compared to their comic counterparts. Gotham Knights' Jason Todd design has come in for particular ridicule due to the character boasting more of a tank-type physique than what he had in the comics.
As reported by IGN during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Gotham Knights' creative director Patrick Redding was asked by a fan whether or not the Joker would appear in the upcoming title. He responded "no", but added, "I will not confirm or deny whether [Harley Quinn] is", indicating that the fan-favorite psychiatrist-turned-villain-turned-anti-heroine might make an appearance of some sort. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time someone involved in the development of a Batman game has tried to misdirect players when it came to the appearance of his arch-nemesis, as Rocksteady famously told fans that the character wouldn't appear in Batman: Arkham Knight following his death at the end of Batman: Arkham City, only for the Joker to appear in hallucinations and flashbacks that tormented Batman and tied into the origin of the titular Arkham Knight.
Batman Really Is Dead In Gotham Knights, & Dies In The Story's First 10 Minutes
Fans have remained skeptical around the news that Batman is in fact dead in Gotham Knights, with many believing that he could have faked his death, much as he did at the end of Batman: Arkham Knight. Redding confirmed that this would not be the case, as Batman is in fact really dead in Gotham Knights, stating that the Caped Crusader dies in the first 10 minutes, setting up the plot, and remains dead at the end of the game, meaning that the focus is entirely on the rest of the Bat Family, and not on when their mentor would return.
Fans won't have to wait long to find out whether Redding is misleading them surrounding the appearance of the Joker, or the status of Batman, as Gotham Knights' release date is set for this October. Unfortunately for DC fans on last-gen consoles, WB Games has announced that instead of having a cross-gen release as previously planned, it would be making Gotham Knights a current-gen exclusive like Rocksteady's fellow DC project, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and canceled the title's PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases in May.
Gotham Knights launches on October 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: IGN