Developer Rocksteady Studios' next project beyond Batman: Arkham Knight may include a multiplayer component according to two job listings on its website.

Thanks to a find by NeoGAF user Nirolak, Batman: Arkham Knight developer Rocksteady Studios has listed two separate positions for senior and lead programmer, with the latter requiring applicants to have a "proven track record as a team lead with experience on at least two successfully published multiplayer titles." Furthermore, the lead programming job also will "manage a growing team of network coders," which implies that Rocksteady Studio's next game could have a multiplayer dynamic.

Batman: Arkham Knight was released earlier this year, following the only Arkham game with a multiplayer component, WB Games Montreal's Batman: Arkham Origins, with the title's feature being a middling experience at best. On paper, the concept was quite interesting — play as Batman and Robin in enclosed spaces while taking down teams of marauding thugs, or take on the role of the bad guys themselves to fight one another as well as the Dork Knight and the Boy Blunder — but its execution was rather faulty.

As far as the potential for a multiplayer component in Rocksteady Studios' next venture goes, the company could utilize other DC Comics assets and strike gold. As it happens, Kevin Conroy — the de facto voice of Batman — mentioned a while back that he would be interested to tackle a Justice League game with Rocksteady, which could yield some great results. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine experiencing the ability to play alongside friends as Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern without having a fun time.

Rocksteady Studios' co-founder Sefton Hill has mentioned in the past that Batman: Arkham Knight will be the series end and last for the developer in terms its properties falling underneath the Arkham banner, so it's unlikely that the next project will be related to the Caped Crusader. However, it's entirely possible for Hill to end up reneging on his promise, as WB Games implied that the IP will never die, saying the Batman franchise has “endless possibilities”.

Nevertheless, with no one having any real inkling as to what kind of title Rocksteady Studios has in store for its fans next, it's entirely possible for the developer to remain inside the DC Comics wheelhouse. After all, there were references made in Arkham Knight that could have been teasing a Superman game.

At any rate, Rocksteady Studios may choose to forego video games based on comic book superheroes altogether for the time being. While some fans might initially be disappointed by such a decision, the developer certainly has the talent and potential to craft a completely original title with multiplayer capabilities all its own.

While Rocksteady Studios hasn't confirmed its next project just yet, fans of the company can still enjoy their recent release of Batman: Arkham Knight on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Rocksteady Studios (via GameSpot, NeoGAF)