With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video games industry and game development, delays have become more common than ever. The pandemic has caused the delay of many anticipated titles as the effects of it continue to ripple throughout the world. This was ultimately a factor into the delay of the upcoming DC Comics inspired title Gotham Knights, which saw it pushed from 2021 to 2022 along with several other WB Games titles. Luckily, it appears that Gotham Knights will not be delayed again.
Gotham Knights is being developed by Batman: Arkham Origins studio WB Games Montreal. The game is a cooperative action game with RPG elements which includes Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Red Hood as playable characters and tasks up to two players with defeating various Batman villains such as the Court of Owls, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and more. The game is not connected to Rocksteady's Arkham universe and will feature a fully explorable open-world Gotham. The game was first revealed in August 2020's DC FanDome event as a cross-generational title, unlike Rocksteady's upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is PS5 and Xbox Series X/S exclusive.
In early 2021 it was announced that Gotham Knights, which was originally slated for release that same year, would be delayed to 2022 alongside Avalanche's upcoming Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy. Since entering 2022, there has been much skepticism regarding whether these games will finally release this year given WB Interactive Entertainment's hesitance to show any gameplay for the titles in 2021 (with Gotham Knights only receiving a brief story trailer). Today, on Twitter, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar confirmed that the company is planning to launch Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy in 2022.
With this, Warner Bros'. video game slate is shaping up quite nicely for 2022, with the release date for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga recently confirmed for April 5th 2022. This joins the publisher's announcement of crossover fighting game MultiVersus adding to its slate of Gotham Knights, Hogwarts Legacy, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. On top of this, Warner-owned developer NetherRealm, the studio behind the beloved Mortal Kombat and Injustice universes, has also teased the reveal of its next game in 2022.
There is still a possibility that Gotham Knights, along with WB's other games, could slip into 2023 or even beyond, as game development is often unpredictable, but for now it appears that Warner Bros. is hoping to reassure fans that Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy will be releasing in 2022. What that means for its other titles remains to be seen.
Gotham Knights will release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
