When Batman: Arkham Knight released at the beginning of June, the initial critical impression was that the title was a fitting end to the Rocksteady-developed Arkham series. Unfortunately, it wasn't too long before some serious problems were discovered with the PC version of the title, including frame rate issues and game-breaking bugs. After some failed attempts at a temporary fix, the PC port was swiftly pulled from store fronts, with gamers offered refunds on their purchases.
Since then, Rocksteady - who were not responsible for the PC port of Batman: Arkham Knight, which was instead outsourced to another developer - has taken the lead on patching the PC version. In spite of this, however, the game is still not available to purchase for PC, leaving a sour aftertaste to the release of the game. Now, publisher Warner Bros Interactive has issued an apology for the multitude of problems with the PC port of the title.
The apology was released via Batman: Arkham Knight's official support forum, stating that the publisher is "taking full responsibility for releasing a product" that did not meet its quality standards. Explaining that Warner Bros. Interactive has heard the "PC gaming community outcry of disappointment" over the initial release of the title, the post from community admin Yorick continued to state that both publisher and developer Rocksteady were working hard to address the problems directly.
The post even gave an update on the swift action that was taken to fix the issues, which some have attributed as a necessary step due to Steam's recent refund policy change. According to the publisher, addressing the game's issues is its number one priority, and a number of fixes have been identified and "are currently being implemented." After some initial testing has been carried out, players can expect an update on when the game will once again be available to purchase, with news expected next week.
The post also revealed that Warner Bros. Interactive is likely to change its quality control procedures for future releases. "Because of this latest launch, we are modifying the internal review process for all of our games," says Yorick. Given that Warner Bros. Interactive may have known about the Batman: Arkham Knight PC port's problems for months yet still released the game, it's certainly a move that is needed.
Nonetheless, a reaction from the publisher is necessary and a positive step towards better customer relations in future. The post also explained that the release of the upcoming A Matter of the Family DLC is being delayed from July 14 for season pass holders whilst work continues on the core game, a far cry from the publisher's reaction to similar issues with Batman: Arkham Origins. Perhaps Warner Bros. Interactive has turned over a new leaf after all.