A source claiming to be an unnamed internal tester breaking NDA says a new Batman: Arkham prequel game, potentially named Batman: Arkham Crisis, is in development and planned for release in 2019. According to the rumor, this new Batman game is tentatively planned for an announcement in March and will then launch in October. The source of this rumor is highly unreliable, but the text of it seems surprisingly nuanced and there is a detailed description that may lend it credence. Beware of potential spoilers from here on.

The rumor states that Batman: Arkham Crisis, codename Knightfall Redacted, focuses on the mysterious Court of Owls as its antagonist. The Court of Owls is a secret group of rich and powerful Gothamites aiming to maintain control of the city and tear down both Batman and Bruce Wayne. As a result, the player will also play as three different characters, insinuated to be Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as well as Batman. The traditional Batman action gameplay will be returning, but with a refreshed range of skills and unique styles for the three different playable characters.

Core features for the new Batman game would include a broad open world setting filled with NPCs, the Batwing as the main mode of transportation, a day/night cycle, co-op multiplayer support for side content, and a renewed focus on storytelling. Side content includes a Harley Quinn plotline where she breaks the Joker out of Arkham, a unique series of Riddler challenges instead of trophies, and stories featuring Black Mask, Mr. Freeze, and supposedly 17 other missions.

As exciting as all of these rumored details may be, they don't necessarily lend the Batman: Arkham Crisis rumor any truth, but these rumors do match with previous "leaks" about the unannounced game. For example, this leak says this new Batman game has been in development for two years, which lines up perfectly with rumors two years ago regarding Warner Bros. Montreal rebooting its Batman project.

There have also been plenty of rumors about the new Batman project featuring the Court of Owls, including what was said to be an announcement during The Game Awards 2018 confirming the game's release in 2019. Another such rumor featured a Warner Bros. Montreal developer tweeting her Court of Owls t-shirt with the word "[Redacted]," tying into this new rumor's claimed codename for the project being Knightfall Redacted. And then there's WB Montreal's creative director telling fans on Twitter, "May 2019 bring you everything you wish!"

A new Batman project is almost certainly on its way from Warner Bros. Montreal, it seems. But whether this rumor proves true is another matter entirely. The source stems from a Discord chat, which sent a summary of this information to a YouTuber, which has since proliferated. It's a completely unverifiable chain, which makes it about as trustworthy as a post on Reddit or 4chan. Yet there's something about this rumor, particularly with regards to specifics regarding its release, that makes it worth sharing. Its veracity will be proven soon, as the rumor claims Batman: Arkham Crisis will be announced with the March issue of the Game Informer magazine.

Batman: Arkham Crisis is rumored to be in development for unspecified platforms.