Cancelled Batman Arkham Game Concept Art Reveals Old Bruce Wayne, Villains, and More

A bunch of concept art for a cancelled Batman Arkham game has surfaced, revealing a new look at an older Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, and some villains. The Batman mythos is one of the most revered comic book stories out there. Batman has made a strong impression within comics, television, film, and gaming, making him one of the most adaptable heroes out there. Although there was a period where there weren’t many great Batman games, the Arkham series defined what the character could be in gaming. It not only had a great story, but the gameplay was revolutionary and set a standard for other superhero games going forward.

Rocksteady made 3 games in the Arkham series with Warner Bros. Montreal assisting in a prequel game called Arkham Origins. They were all slam dunks, but there hasn’t been a brand new Batman game on consoles since Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015. The Arkham universe did continue in the ill-fated Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but there was supposed to be another game where you donned the cape and cowl once more. It’s no secret at this point that there was a Damian Wayne Batman game set within the Arkham universe, but not much is known about it. Thankfully, occasional details and artwork trickle out from time to time.

Cancelled Batman Arkham Game Concept Art Surfaces Online

As spotted by Batman Arkham Videos, a character artist named Rodrigue Pralier posted some concept art of characters from an untitled project that was in the works back in 2015. Although Pralier didn’t mention Batman, the artwork features Killer Croc and Huntress, making it easy to be able to deduce that this is WB Montreal’s cancelled Batman game. The artwork also features glimpses at an older Bruce Wayne, conceptualized with a cane and leg brace indicating that either time has caught up with him or he endured an injury that he couldn’t recover from. We also get a good look at Damian Wayne himself with a scarred face and a shaved head.

It’s believed this cancelled Batman game would’ve taken inspiration from Batman Beyond, an animated series where Bruce Wayne hangs up the suit due to his age becoming a liability. Instead, a younger kid named Terry McGinnis takes on the mantle in a futuristic, almost Blade Runner-esque looking version of Gotham City. It’s likely that this game would’ve done something similar, just replacing Terry with Batman’s son, Damian. It was expected to feature the Nemesis system that was created for Shadow of Mordor and a batcycle for players to drive, a concept that would roll into Gotham Knights which was also developed by WB Montreal.

It’s believed that Rocksteady is working on a new Batman game, likely another Arkham game, after its Suicide Squad experiment bombed. It will likely be many years before it even sees the light of day, but it will hopefully fill the void that players have felt for the last decade. Despite Wonder Woman and Flash games being cancelled, there seems to be a desire at Warner Bros. to make more DC games. Whether or not they get to the finish line remains to be seen.