Warner Bros. Interactive had a bit of a slow year in 2021. Officially, the company only published two games last year, those being the iOS game LEGO Star Wars Battles and the Left 4 Dead spiritual successor Back 4 Blood. While Back 4 Blood was met with a fairly decent critical reception and fan desires for a new Left 4 Dead was momentarily satiated, there's no denying that Warner Bros. Interactive had a pretty slow year.
With the global pandemic still running rampant, causing developers to work from home, there's no wonder that Warner Bros. has had to delay most of its upcoming slate of video games. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Gotham Knights, and Hogwarts Legacy have all faced several delays each, and that's only the ones the public knows about. But these delays mean that Warner Bros. Interactive is poised for one incredible 2022.
WB 2022- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga News and Release in 2022
With over five years in production, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga finally has a release date of April 5, 2022. In a trailer that dropped on January 20, the game's expansive open-world environments, extensive range of unlockable characters, and new combat mechanics were all showcased.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga looks like it may just live up to fan expectations, seemingly offering a perfect blend of old LEGO Star Wars charm along with some new mechanics and gameplay elements that push the LEGO games into the modern age of AAA gaming.
As there's not too many gaming industry events in the first quarter of the year, it's unlikely that The Skywalker Saga will make another convention appearance before its current April 5 release date. But it does seem likely that another one or two trailers will drop before the game's release, perhaps showcasing a bit more of the game's open-world aspects and their apparent scale.
WB 2022- Everything Known About LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's DLC
In its most recent trailer, it was confirmed that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will receive a total of seven "Character Packs" upon release. These character packs will be available in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's Deluxe Edition and will likely be available to purchase from the various store platforms once the game releases.
These character packs bring even more iconic Star Wars to the already-huge roster. Included in the Deluxe Edition are The Mandalorian Season 1 and 2 character packs, The Bad Batch character pack, a Rogue One character pack, a Solo character pack, a "Classic Characters" pack, and a "Trooper" pack.
With LEGO's track record of including a season pass in its last few games, and with these character packs already confirmed for the game, it seems likely that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will receive even more DLC post-launch. With the mainline saga being the core focus of the base game, it seems fairly likely that any potential DLC will focus on the Star Wars spinoff TV shows and movies, like Clone Wars, Rebels, and the Disney+ shows. Although, this is all yet to be confirmed in any official capacity.
WB 2022- Gotham Knights News and Potential Release in 2022
The first of Warner Bros. Interactive's DC games supposedly slated for release in 2022, Gotham Knights looks like it's shaping up to be a pretty strong third-person action game. Being worked on by WB Games Montreal, the developer behind Arkham Origins, the dev has almost definitely taken lessons from its first foray into the world of Batman video games, and the final result will hopefully meet fan expectations.
The most recent trailer for the game, being unveiled during DC FanDome 2021, showcased the game's primary antagonist, the Court of Owls, a pretty terrifying villain featured in Scott Snyder's New 52 Batman run. This group of mask-wearing villains lurk in Gotham's shadows, pulling the strings of society while using their Talon operatives to enforce their wishes.
The latest trailer also gave fans another look at the game's core mechanics, where players choose from one of Batman's four proteges. Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood are all playable in Gotham Knights, each one bringing a new set of abilities, weapons, and move-sets to the game. Gotham Knights features 2-player co-op, allowing a friend to jump in as another member of the Bat-Family.
Currently, Gotham Knights is set for release in 2022. There's no specific date attached to the game just yet, but as the game was slated for release in 2021, it seems likely that it's quite far along in development and the likelihood of it dropping this year is pretty high. Some leaks point toward the first half of 2022, so perhaps it'll follow a month or two after LEGO Star Wars. Fans should expect to see another trailer or two in the next few months, finally confirming an official date of release.
WB 2022- Will Gotham Knights Feature DLC?
WB Games Montreal's previous work on Arkham Origins might suggest that Gotham Knights could receive DLC in the future. Most of Arkham Origins' DLC simply added more skins and challenge maps to the game, so it might be the case that Gotham Knights' potential DLC is simply just a few additional missions or challenges, along with a selection of skins for the four protagonists.
Arkham Origins also features a Deathstroke DLC, which gave those who pre-ordered the game the ability to play as the legendary mercenary during challenge missions. This could infer that WB Games Montreal is willing to add more playable characters in any potential DLC. Maybe Huntress, Batwoman, or another version of Batman could appear in future DLC, but for right now, fans can only wait for any official announcements.
WB 2022- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League News, Development, and Potential Release
Warner Bros. Interactive's next DC title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has seemingly been in development for years. Development studio Rocksteady has had almost seven years since its last AAA game, Arkham Knight, and fans have spent that entire time obsessing over what its next project could be. Rumors, regardless of any factual accuracy, have spread like wildfire around the project. A Superman game, a Green Lantern title, and even another Batman entry have all made the rounds.
In DC FanDome's 2020 event, it was finally confirmed that Rocksteady's already incredibly anticipated game was a Suicide Squad title, in which players could take control of Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot, or Captain Boomerang as they hunt after the Justice League. In DC FanDome's 2021 event, another trailer gave fans a small look at some gameplay. Only brief glimpses were shown, but the game's varied combat and traversal mechanics were an immediate highlight for fans.
The release date of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has always been slated for 2022, since reveal. The game actually hasn't been delayed yet, which is surprising given the current state of the world and working conditions. So, this could either mean great things for Suicide Squad's release date, or it could mean that delays are likely going to occur, based purely on the odds that every other game is being/has been delayed over the last couple years.
WB 2022- MultiVersus: A Brand New Crossover Brawler in 2022
A brand new crossover platform-fighter in the same vein as Super Smash Bros. and Nickelodeon All Star Brawl, MultiVersus sees a wide range of Warner Bros. properties duke it out in a variety of stylish and vibrant themed arenas. Currently, the roster sits at 12 playable characters, with characters from Scooby-Doo, Batman, Wonder Woman, Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones, and more all appearing in the game.
One of the main hooks of MultiVersus is its free-to-play nature, which puts it in direct competition with other platform-fighters currently available. Although, this model might suggest that any future DLC characters may require an in-game purchase. With other Warner Bros. properties like Harry Potter, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings, MultiVersus' future DLC could be quite lucrative for the company.
A fully confirmed release date is also unavailable for MultiVersus, with only a general date of 2022 being given upon its announcement a few months ago. With the live-service nature of the game, it seems quite likely that Warner Bros. Interactive will want to release MultiVersus as soon as possible, so fans may get their hands on the game sooner rather than later.
WB 2022- Hogwarts Legacy: News, Information, and Expectations for 2022
First announced during a 2020 PlayStation 5 event, Hogwarts Legacy really hasn't been shown to the public much at all. Gameplay and story details are pretty scarce right now, even well after a year from its first announcement. The game is said to be an action RPG that will give players the opportunity to live out their Hogwarts fantasies. Set in the late 1800s, Hogwarts Legacy will let players choose their Hogwarts house, attend magical classes, and learn a range of spells that feed into the game's combat.
Aside from that first reveal trailer, fans have really heard nothing about the game. In January 2021, the game was delayed to 2022, but there have been no more trailers or even any small tidbits of information. The only real confirmation fans have had is that J.K. Rowling isn't directly involved with the making of the game. While fans will certainly see another trailer for the game this year, hopefully giving an insight into actual gameplay mechanics, story elements, and the core gameplay loop, it's hard to say how like its release is. Some have said a delay was forthcoming, while others say it's on track for 2022. Fans will just need to keep in mind that it's certainly possible.
WB 2022- Will Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad, or Hogwarts Legacy Be Delayed?
Right now, a lot of speculation surrounding Warner Bros. Interactive's 2022 line-up is centered around what games are likely to receive delays. While any game has the potential to be delayed into next year, Gotham Knights seem like the least likely candidate. With several gameplay trailers already being shown, and with a few delays already under its belt, another Gotham Knights delay seems unlikely.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a bit more of a tricky one to predict. Although Rocksteady has also shown a number of trailers for its game, fans only got their first real gameplay look during FanDome 2021, just a few months ago. Realistically, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may need a little longer in the oven, even despite its presumably long development cycle. It's not as certain to release as Gotham Knights, but of it, Gotham Knights, and Hogwarts Legacy, it's in the middle.
Hogwarts Legacy, of the tree, the most likely to be delayed. Some very recent rumors have suggested that the game will receive a significant delay, but Warner Bros. has since made an official statement, exclaiming that the game will release at some stage in 2022. Again, fans just have to wait and see but shouldn't get detrimentally attached to a 2022 release. If the scope of the game is truly as large as has been hinted at, then Avalanche Software may need all the time it can get to ensure that the end product meets the fairly monumental fan expectations.
