Much like its titular character, the Batman: Arkham saga glided into unprecedented new heights where the competition couldn't reach it. Superhero video games were redefined the moment we stepped into the Caped Crusader's shoes and made our way through a terrifying asylum to stop the Joker's maniacal plan, only for the Clown Prince of Crime to die in our hands a few years later and eventually haunt us in our worst nightmares. Unfortunately, this epic franchise had a fate so crushing, you'd be forgiven for thinking Bane broke its back.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League took the story in a surprising new direction, where players had to hunt their favorite DC heroes and put them to rest. The version of Bruce Wayne we followed for decades met a terrible fate, as he received a bullet to the head in a very anticlimactic sequence... except that's not how the story really goes. It was eventually revealed that the members of the Justice League that we killed throughout the main story were merely clones created by Brainiac. But even then, the damage to the franchise was done.
To add insult to injury, massive layoffs at Camouflaj Studios meant that Batman: Arkham Shadow—the latest installment in the Batman: Arkham franchise—would never get a sequel. So where does the story go from here? Well, every time it appears that the Caped Crusader has retired for good, he makes a memorable comeback when Gotham needs him the most, and that time might nearly be here.
Warner Bros to return to its biggest gaming franchises in 2028
As reported by Variety, the CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, JB Perrette, revealed that 2025 was a "year of reset" for the company's gaming division. This comes after Warner Bros. Discovery tried but failed to go after "too many IPs with too broad a set for studios." Fortunately, things will be different over the upcoming years, as revealed by Perrette:
"The real fruits will start coming in in '27-'28 when we return to some of our biggest franchises."
Unfortunately, there was no mention of which titles could be released during 2027 or 2028, but there are some likely candidates. For starters, it has been heavily speculated that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is coming our way, which isn't surprising considering the game's massive success. Given that the first entry was released in 2023, a follow-up could very well come our way in 2027, giving Avalanche Software a very comfortable four-year development cycle. But what about the Caped Crusader?
It has been reported that Rocksteady will go back to basics and release a single-player Batman title that could be playable on the next generation of consoles. This last part is important, as it gives us a better idea about the game's possible release date. Former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida stated that 2028 is a very likely release for the PlayStation 6—the very same year that Warner Bros. will see the return of its biggest gaming franchises. So, could Bruce Wayne return in 2028 as well?
Batman: Arkham Knight was released in 2015, four years after its predecessor, Batman: Arkham City. Considering that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hit shelves in February 2024, it isn't far-fetched to assume that developer Rocksteady could release its upcoming Batman title in 2028, giving them yet another four-year development cycle.
It's important to remember that official support for SSKTJL came to an end in 2025, meaning Rocksteady didn't have its hands completely free until last year. However, it isn't unheard of for a studio to be working on two projects at the same time. With that in mind, there's a chance that many of Rocksteady's staff started working on a Batman title right after the underwhelming release of their latest project, while just a few worked on the DLC for SSKTJL. If true, that would explain why many of the post-launch cutscenes in Task Force X's latest adventure are 2D and not fully rendered 3D sequences.
Our first look at the next Batman: Arkham game could come in late 2027, with late 2028 being a likely release window, just in time for the hypothetical launch of the PS6. Of course, this is just speculation on our part, but it's been a long time since the last standalone Batman: Arkham video game, and hopefully it won't be long before the next one. Meanwhile, we still have LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to look forward to in just a few months.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be released on May 29, 2026, on all major consoles.