It's no secret that the Batman: Arkham trilogy is widely regarded as the best superhero video game saga ever created. The world that developer Rocksteady created was so acclaimed by players and critics alike that it wasn't long before other studios tried to expand on it. Eventually, we got a prequel in the form of Batman: Arkham Origins, a tie-in movie courtesy of Batman: Assault on Arkham, and even a VR adventure that helped to fill in some gaps in the universe's continuity.
However, what everyone wanted for a very long time was a proper follow-up to Batman: Arkham Knight. But you know what they say: Be careful what you wish for. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the last installment in the Arkhamverse, and it made players kill the Dark Knight in a very anticlimactic way.
Granted, it was eventually revealed that Braniac fabricated clones of the Justice League, so the only one that really bit the dust for good was Wonder Woman. Still, many players (including this writer) decided to simply disregard Rocksteady's latest title and act as if nothing ever happened. That's why it's all the more heartbreaking to learn we almost witnessed a true, proper continuation to Arkham Knight—one that would've respected the legacy of Bruce and the Batfamily—but it was eventually canceled.
Concept art of canceled follow-up to Batman: Arkham Knight is released online
Artist Jerad S.Marantz released a concept art made for a canceled Arkham game depicting an older version of Bruce Wayne wearing a batsuit, whose purpose is to "hold him together". It's impossible not to think there's a slight Batman Beyond inspiration, given the red and black color palette. Furthermore, the costume seems much more akin to a suit of armor, which could help the hero take more punches in his older age, as well as aid with his movement.
This isn't the first concept art we've seen of the canceled follow-up to Batman: Arkham Knight. Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Games Montréal was originally meant to take the reins over the Dark Knight's story while Rocksteady worked on a different project. This title, code-named Project Sabbath, would've followed Damian Wayne as he tried to protect an even more worn-down version of Gotham City. Of course, Bruce would've also made an appearance, but as a supporting character instead of being the protagonist.
Project Sabbath would've featured no shortage of iconic DC characters such as Two-Face, Dick Grayson, a resurrected Poison Ivy, and even Gorilla Grodd. Furthermore, it would've introduced a new traversal mechanic in the form of the Batbike. But the cherry on top of the cake? It's been heavily reported that the game would've made use of the iconic (albeit forgotten) Nemesis System used in Shadow of Mordor.
While Project Sabbath will never come to be, some of its mechanics and assets were used in
WB Games Montréal's latest project: Gotham Knights. Unfortunately, that game was released to mixed-to-negative reviews, so there's a case to be made that the same would've happened with the Arkham Knight successor. However, there is a key difference between these two titles.
Project Sabbath was always meant to be a single-player, narrative-driven experience much like the rest of the Arkham saga. However, it has been heavily speculated that Gotham Knights was originally tailored to be a live-service game. That's why it has a heavy emphasis on a multiplayer mode, includes different forms of currency, and is keen on making players grind for loot. Another game that incorporated all three of these components is Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which, lo and behold, was a live-service game.
It's been speculated that the only reason WB Games Montréal had a sudden change in direction mid-way through production was due to the negative reception of Marvel's Avengers (yet another live-service). But even then, it was too late to change everything the studio had already worked on.
Unfortunately, we'll never know what the Arkham saga could've looked like if Rocksteady and WB Games Montréal hadn't chased after trends and made their own passion project instead. However, it has been reported that the former will go back to basics and develop a single-player Batman game, so there's a slight (although real) chance that the franchise can still end on a positive note. Better yet, they could reveal that the Suicide Squad's latest adventure was never canon, and nobody would bat an eye. That way, they can get a second chance at redemption.