Where Did It All Go Wrong With Batman: Arkham?
1. A Giant In Limbo
To blame the series' prolonged absence on Arkham Knight would be disingenuous, however. Knight was a critical darling upon release and wowed in equal measure in terms of sales, and with Rocksteady set to explore a different path of the DC Universe, the blame - if there even is any to be partitioned - lies squarely in Warner Bros. court.
We've known for a long time that Origins' developers are working on something, but what that something is has changed drastically these last five years. First, it was reported that a Suicide Squad spin-off was being fast-tracked, picking up immediately where Origins left off by having the player assume control of Deathstroke in a game that could also be played cooperatively. According to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, the project was binned in 2016 after failing to impress their parent company, with a replacement title having been lined up shortly thereafter.
This newer game was said to have been developed with a Batman Beyond-style premise in mind, as players assumed the role of Bruce Wayne's son Damian, with the Bat-Cycle being used as the primary method of transportation. This too, however, was seemingly cancelled, but Montreal haven't stopped there - five years of frustration be damned.
Now, it looks as though Montreal are working on a genuine sequel to Origins - one that'll expand upon the Court of Owls Easter Eggs and depict the origin of Dick Grayson's Robin. Those hoping for an announcement at any of the industry's yearly events, however, have been left disappointed - and it looks as though it'll be a long time before Arkham reemerges once more.
Just don't make it too long, yeah? There are only so many Arkham-less years we can take.