Rocksteady Studios finally announced their newest project, which is called Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It has been just over five years since the acclaimed developer behind the Batman: Arkham series released another video game. Unfortunately, however, fans of the Arkhamverse might have to wait a while before they get any substantial information. Whereas the developers at WB Montréal graced DC FanDome with an in-depth gameplay trailer and creator commentary, Rocksteady has thus far refused to show anything except a four minute-long cinematic.
First and foremost the Suicide Squad itself appears to consist of just four members, those being Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot and Captain Boomerang — four criminals who have been blackmailed into doing the government's bidding. In this case, their task is nothing less than to kill the Justice League. Of all its members, Superman is the only one to make an actual appearance in the trailer, and he seems to be under the influence of some kind of force or virus.
Since Rocksteady has yet to release any gameplay footage, any talk about the game's actual contents is, for better or worse, pure speculation. That said, the company's creative director, Sefton Hill, has said in interviews that the game will play out much like a hybrid version of previous projects, albeit with some more advanced gunplay thrown into the mix. That would mark a big change from the Batman: Arkham games. However, given that one of the principal characters has been confirmed to be the world's greatest sharpshooter, it should come as no surprise.
Suicide Squad Gameplay: Each Character Has Unique Combat
If the cinematic trailer even remotely resembles the gameplay, which appears to be the case, fans can already glean a thing or two about combat and mobility. For one, Harley relies on a baseball bat for close-up fights, and appears to move around the map using a grappling hook, which also be used to perform mid-air attacks. Deadshot, for his part, is equipped with a jet pack, two arm pistols, and a sniper, while Captain Boomerang uses a boomerang that allows him to teleport to wherever he throws it. Last but not least, King Shark can jump from one building to another, and wields two cleavers as well as a Gatling gun.
Suicide Squad's Setting Is The Arkhamverse
Despite initial expectations, Rocksteady has also confirmed that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will take place within the same universe as the Batman: Arkham series. This could have been gleaned from looking at the character design of Harley Quinn, whose facial features and overall design closely reflect her look in Batman: Arkham Knight. That is not to say that Rocksteady will merely copy-paste elements from their former franchise without giving them a second thought, though, as the character of Deadshot does not resemble his Batman: Arkham City design in the slightest.
Suicide Squad's Villains Likely Include Braniac
Given how the previous three iterations of the Arkham games sported a collection of different bad guys, it is likely that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will follow a similar trajectory. From the moment they began the franchise, Rocksteady has prided itself on its ability to pack as many different members of Batman's rogues gallery into a single title, and Suicide Squad seems like the perfect opportunity to continue that trend.
The game's trailer (visible above) indicates that the Squad will face off against enemies other than the Justice League, as Metropolis appears to have been squashed by Braniac's ship. Some journalists have gone on to speculate that the virus or force affecting Superman as well as the city's civilian residents is somehow linked to Starro the Conqueror, an intergalactic being who, in the comics, battled the original Justice League. Starro actually made a cameo appearance in Batman: Arkham Knight, so his appearance would make sense within the Arkhamverse.
Suicide Squad's Release Date
Although no particular launch date has been set as of today, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is currently slated for a 2022 release. If true, this would mean that the game would premier significantly later than WB Montréal's Gotham Knights, which is set to launch at some point in 2021. Of course, the game's release window may be subject to further changes depending on how the coronavirus pandemic will unfold. Due to the heavy hardware involved, coordinating video game productions when employees are mandated to work from home has proven difficult for some companies and near-impossible for many. At the very least, a roomy schedule would give Rocksteady the time necessary to perfect their craft.