With a playable roster made up of four fan favorite Bat Family members and an exciting introduction of the Court of Owls teased, Gotham Knights seems set to deliver in a big way. While players still have no idea how the story will play out and how exactly the game will work, what has been shown for WB Montreal’s co-op DC title thus far makes it seem like a perfect fit for post-launch content. Intriguingly, the best DLC format for one of 2021’s most anticipated games could come from one of 2020’s most disappointing releases.
Gotham Knights DLC could thrive by following Marvel’s Avengers’ method of post-launch content drops. While Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game features problems with repetitive mission design and a major lack of enemy variety, its format for DLC makes perfect sense for a superhero-focused games-as-a-service offering. Dropping a new hero every few months with a standalone storyline is excellent, and each expansion coming with a fresh villain to fight only sweetens the deal. While nothing is known about Gotham Knights’ DLC plans and some unmentioned in-game feature may make post-launch heroes impossible, for now a Marvel’s Avengers-like plan seems like a perfect way to support Gotham Knights after its release.
Catwoman And Bane
The most recent character to official join the Bat Family, Selina Kyle’s marriage to Bruce Wayne in the finale of Tom Kane’s great Batman run would be great to see addressed in Gotham Knights. With Bruce supposedly dying, seeing Selina affected by his loss would be excellent, especially if the two tied the knot in WB Montreal’s new Batman universe. While a predictable story would see Catwoman return to a life of crime, it would be more fun to see her use Batman’s death as motivation to turn into a full-on hero — bringing an end to her walking the line between good and bad.
Not only has Catwoman been playable inside Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight, giving WB Montreal a source for inspiration when it comes to crafting her moveset, but the same run of comics that ended with her marrying Bruce featured an excellent rivalry with Bane. Giving the villain his best story since he broke Batman’s back, introducing Bane alongside Catwoman would make for an excellent DLC that fires on all cylinders. Introducing a boss that was fun to fight in the Arkham games, as well as a likable character that was fun to play as, a Catwoman expansion would be a must-have DLC for the game.
Damian Wayne And The League Of Assassins
With rumors of a canceled Damian Wayne game spreading back in February of last year, and Batman fans being wildly disappointed by the news, delivering on what could have been via a Gotham Knights DLC would be incredible. There are a few directions that WB Montreal could take a Damian Wayne expansion, as a strong story could see him leaning into his crueler side that Bruce tries to suppress in the comics. Wielding a sword and willing to kill like Red Hood, the duo’s camaraderie could be fun to see play out. At the same time, Damian attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps and be the next Batman would make just as much sense, as the loss of Bruce could fully transform Damian.
Regardless of which path is taken, though, a League of Assassins member would be a shoo-in for this hypothetical DLC’s villain. Ra’s Al Ghul seems like a solid choice, as seeing Damian clash with his grandfather would make for an intense battle. At the same time, seeing the son of Batman go one-on-one with his own mother would be even more dark and interesting. With Talia Al Ghul usually on the wrong side of the fight, a scenario where the two clash is certainly in the realm of possibility, with her father likely wanting to attack Gotham now that Batman is no longer around to keep it safe. Such an expansion could tell another quality tale that adds to the story of the Gotham Knights universe while also adding sword gameplay that would be a change of pace from the usual punches and kicks.
Batwing And Mr. Bloom
Rounding out the list of potential DLC candidates is Batwing. While there have been a few versions of the character, Luke Fox would be the best fit for Gotham Knights, mainly due to his connection to Bruce Wayne. The son of Lucius Fox, Batman’s supplier of armor and gadgets, Batwing’s path to becoming a hero makes sense. He also boasts a suit that gives him the ability to fly, something that would make him wildly different from the rest of Gotham Knights’ cast. Much like Red Hood’s guns, this would make him hard to balance, though it would be more than worth the effort. Air combos and flying through Gotham would instantly make Batwing one of the most fun characters to play, something that could help earn him a spot on the roster.
With Luke Fox’s Batwing being a newer character, it makes sense that he would have a lesser-known Batman villain to face off against. Mr. Bloom would be a great pick, as the character has not yet appeared in any game or film. Fought when Jim Gordon had to take on the Batman mantle following a disappearance of Bruce Wayne, the unique villain could grant people powers while also being able to grow in size and stretch his appendages. Making his debut in the same comic book run where Scott Snyder introduced the incredible Court of Owls faction, WB Montreal is likely aware of the obscure villain’s existence. If casual fans are going to learn of Batwing, it makes sense that they would learn of a new foe at the same time.
There are far more members of the Bat Family that would be a good fit for the game, and just as many great Batman villains for them to fight against. From Tim Drake’s love interest and former Robin Spoiler to the tortured antihero Azrael, the possibilities for expansions are nearly endless. Provided the core gameplay loop of Gotham Knights works well and there is plenty of mission variety and boss fights, taking notes from Marvel’s Avengers’ DLC plan would be a wise idea. If done correctly, new heroes and villains could keep DC fans playing Gotham Knights for years to come.
Gotham Knights is currently set for release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
