Gotham Knights revealed…. but where’s Batman?

After nearly a year of teases from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Gotham Knights was finally revealed at the DC FanDome via livestream. Warner Bros. Games Montreal have been posting teaser tweets that fans have been trying to decipher since they appeared last September. It was believed that the game would include the ability to play as multiple Bat Family characters and the main enemy would be The Court of Owls.

Watching the trailer, it’s true that you will be able to play as one of the Bat Family with one other family member coming along for the ride if you choose. However, fans are divided about one thing – that Batman is actually dead, so you won’t be able to play as the Dark Knight. In the previous Batman games, developed by RockSteady, Batman was the main playable protagonist. Therefore, this isn’t really a “Batman” game, more of, as WB have said in a statement, a “Batman Family game.” WB were responsible for 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins, which received mixed reviews from players.

At the end of the trailer it is also shown that The Court of Owls are indeed the main baddies. They are an underground organisation made up of Gotham’s wealthiest and oldest families. They use their money, murder and influence to manipulate the political system so that they can maintain control of Gotham.

The game has been labeled by WB as an “action RPG” and they have this to stay about the upcoming title:

“By now, you will have heard, Batman is dead. The knights find themselves all alone to restore order in Gotham and chase infamous villains through the dark alleys and paved streets of the city. Players embody Batgirl, fighter and hacker extraordinaire, Nightwing, wise leader and duel master, Red Hood, intensely strong and weaponry-skilled, and Robin, expert fighter and genius detective-like thinker.”

Gotham Knights will be released sometime in 2021 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC.