A recent Bloomberg report has revealed that Rocksteady Studios is returning to the Batman: Arkham franchise with a new single-player game, marking its first foray back into Gotham since Batman: Arkham Knight nearly a decade ago. The decision follows the financial failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which contributed to a reported $200 million loss for Warner Bros. Discovery.
The report, published by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, details the troubled state of Warner Bros. Games following the exit of longtime president David Haddad. Recent flops, including Suicide Squad and MultiVersus, have left the gaming division in turmoil, forcing the company to reevaluate its strategy. CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the downturn, said, “We recognise [the games business] is substantially underperforming its potential right now.”
According to Bloomberg, Rocksteady’s new Batman project is still in early development and could be years away. The studio, once a powerhouse in superhero gaming, has faced significant layoffs following the Suicide Squad failure, raising questions about its ability to deliver another genre-defining title.
While specifics on the game remain under wraps, the news will likely excite fans who have long called for a return to the Arkham universe.
Meanwhile, the report further revealed that Wonder Woman game project is in jeopardy after undergoing a major reboot and a change in leadership early last year. Monolith Productions, known for its acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series, has been working on a Wonder Woman game since 2021. The game, which has already exceeded $100 million in costs, initially featured Monolith’s signature Nemesis system, allowing Wonder Woman to form rivalries with enemies. That concept has since been abandoned in favor of a more conventional action-adventure approach, leaving the game’s future uncertain, as per the report.
Following the mixed reception of Gotham Knights, WB Games Montreal has struggled to find its next big project. Bloomberg states that the studio pitched a John Constantine game, which was rejected, and later planned a Flash game before it was scrapped due to the poor performance of DC’s The Flash movie. The studio is now reportedly working on a Game of Thrones pitch while assisting other projects within Warner Bros. Games.
With uncertainty looming over its various projects, Warner Bros. is doubling down on its most successful franchises. CEO David Zaslav emphasized the company’s focus on Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC properties, particularly Batman. “We are focusing our development efforts on those core franchises, with proven studios to improve our success ratio,” Zaslav said.
As part of this strategy, Avalanche Software is currently developing a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy alongside new content for the original game. Meanwhile, the publisher has a refreshed version of Hogwarts Legacy, a new Lego game, and several mobile titles lined up for the next two years.
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