Now that the Heroic Assault and Showdown multiplayer modes have launched in Gotham Knights, fans may be interested to see what they are like. Gotham Knights previously only had its base game content, which offered single-player or two-player experiences for player preference. In co-op, players would hop into a host player’s world and be able to run around untethered in the open-world. Many fans enjoyed Gotham Knights’ co-op, and while Showdowns support two-player co-op only, Heroic Assault supports four-player co-op.
Gotham Knights having four-player co-op was seemingly leaked back during the game’s development, though it was passed off as an error. It seems that error was partially accurate in an unexpected way, since Rocksteady announced around the launch of the base game that Gotham Knights would be releasing a four-player co-op mode at the end of November. That time has finally arrived, and while Heroic Assault and Showdown are not tied directly to events in Gotham Knights’ narrative, there are a couple objectives players need to clear out of the way before they can enjoy each mode.
Gotham Knights’ Heroic Assault and Showdowns Campaign Barriers
Heroic Assault and individual Showdowns have launched, but they may not all be readily available to players. Players will see that the Heroic Assault mode is accessible in the main menu, though it is locked. In order to unlock it, players must have first accessed the fifth case file in Gotham Knights’ main campaign. Case File 5.1 has players talk to Talia al Ghul before going out and beating up corrupt members of the GCPD, after which players enter the Court of Owls’ hallucinogenic labyrinth. Once they access this case file, players will also have to complete a side mission that unlocks called Heroic Assault.
This takes players to the Heroic Assault lobby in the northmost corner of the map, making it a physical location players can actually travel to in Gotham Knights’ open-world Gotham City, and introduces them to a tutorial guide for how to begin. Afterwards, players access Heroic Assault straight from the menu.
In contrast, individual Showdowns are only unlocked if players have already beaten Gotham Knights’ main case file bosses: Mr. Freeze and Mecha Freeze, Harley Quinn, Clayface, and Talia al Ghul. This mode is tucked away in the Belfry beneath the staircase and beside Batman’s shrine. Players will see that each villain trophy is interactible once that particular boss has been defeated, though they are easily the game’s toughest challenges, even in co-op.
Gotham Knights’ New Modes Are a Treat for Co-Op Fans
Co-op gameplay is incentivized for both modes, though it is possible for fans to play Heroic Assault and Showdowns in single-player. Because Heroic Assault supports up to four players, fans finally get to experience what gameplay is like with all four of Gotham Knights’ protagonists on screen at once. It's up to fans to decide whether they would like to play these modes fully in single-player. If they do, players will find an exceptionally difficult challenge in moving through 30 floors in Heroic Assault, and five immensely difficult bosses in Showdowns.
Otherwise, these modes offer a more streamlined and arcade-style outlet for fans to enjoy co-op with friends in a private party or in quick matches that randomly assign players to a host’s world. It will be interesting to see if these modes are expanded upon in the future; if Gotham Knights receives more case files as DLC it would be fun to see those bosses appear as Showdown challenges.
Gotham Knights is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
