The only thing stronger than the fear Batman inflicts on his enemies is the hero's popularity. The Caped Crusader is no stranger to appearing in multiple projects across live-action movies, animated TV series, and even acclaimed video games. But from all the fantastic tales he's starred in, one of the most iconic is the Batman: Arkham saga. A decade later, each entry in this beloved trilogy still makes a case for one of the best superhero video games ever created. Unfortunately, what followed wasn't nearly as memorable.
Gotham Knights failed to make an impression on gamers, while the latest entry in the Arkham saga, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, wasn't nearly as big of a success as Rocksteady hoped it would be. Now, the future of DC's video game remains a mystery as Monolith's Wonder Woman—their only confirmed project—was officially cancelled. So, we need to ask ourselves: Could history have been a little bit different had DC followed a different direction after Batman: Arkham Knight?
Footage of Batman's Project Sabbath shows Damian Wayne chasing Killer Croc
Back in 2016, it was heavily rumored that WB Games Montréal was working on the fifth installment in the Arkham saga, codenamed Project Sabbath. It's worth pointing out that there have been conflicting reports about whether the title would've been a true Arkham Knight continuation or if it would've been set in an alternate universe. After all, voice actor Josh Keaton claims the game was its own separate thing. However, the rest of the evidence suggests this tale would've built upon Rocksteady's work.
In 2017, the title was cancelled, and in 2019, concept art made its way online, revealing that it would've taken place 10 years after Bruce Wayne's secret identity had been revealed. As such, the Batman mantle would've already passed down to Damian Wayne, who would try to protect an even more rundown version of Gotham City. For a long time, it was believed that we'd never see this title in action. However, new development footage has been released online, and it gives us a quick glimpse of what could've been.
The video showcases Damian Wayne chasing Killer Croc through the streets of Gotham. Croc's character model has been pulled straight from Batman: Arkham Origins, which WB Games Montréal also developed. Furthermore, this also confirmed that Project Sabbath would've included the Batcycle as a new means of traversal. While the game was ultimately scrapped, some of its ideas and gameplay mechanics worked as the foundation for Gotham Knights.
Unfortunately, Gotham Knights was released to an underwhelming critical response, so there's a case to be made that Project Sabbath would've suffered from the same fate. However, there seems to be a key difference between how these two titles were approached development-wise.
On the one hand, it has been heavily rumored that the Damian Wayne game would've featured the highly praised (yet abandoned) Nemesis System. This mechanic allows the game's NPCs to remember the player's every action and react accordingly, delivering personalized experiences and narratives. This rumor doubles down on the idea that Project Sabbath was always meant to be a single-player experience.
On the other hand, the immense amount of loot you need to grind for in Gotham Knights has led many to theorize that the game was originally supposed to be a live-service title, and it only changed due to the disastrous reception of Marvel's Avengers. This idea isn't too far-fetched, considering that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also chased after the live-service trend. So, if this theory were proven to be true, it would explain a lot about the dubious design choices in Gotham Knights. Chances are that these same mechanics would've been nowhere to be found in Project Sabbath.
We'll probably never know how DC's video game division would've turned out had Project Sabbath been released. However, it's always fun to get a glimpse into the "What Ifs" of the video game industry courtesy of development footage and concept art. With a bit of luck, DC's next title will have a cohesive campaign much like those of the Arkham Saga, and will avoid any live-service mechanics entirely.