Video game rumors are nothing new for the industry, but with so many conventions and conferences being canceled as a result of the recent pandemic's effect on the gaming industry, many postponed announcements have made way for a whole new wave of hearsay and leaks. One such rumor from Warner Bros. Interactive has sparked quite a bit of attention as fans rally around the idea of getting a new Batman game at some point in the near future.

What exactly this new Batman game will look like is still up in the air at the moment, but there a few rumors that have given an idea as to what players can expect to see coming from the series. Most importantly, however, is whether or not this will be a continuation of the insanely popular Arkham series, or if it will be a new continuity separate from these most recent games. The answer is a bit complicated, but judging from a rumor sparked by LinkedIn, it might be a bit of both.

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Soft Reboot of batman

According to some rumors about the future of Batman games that Warner Bros. Interactive reportedly had in mind, the next title starring the Caped Crusader will be a departure from the Arkham series. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it won't be the same or a similar Batman that players will be given another chance to control as they prowl the streets of Gotham. Instead, the term "soft reboot" seems to have appeared a few times to imply that the next title will set up a connected DC Universe, becoming the springboard for a much larger series to come.

In a few ways, this means that the new Batman title won't be a direct sequel, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it won't have ties to the Arkham series. Some rumors passing around have made mention of a "Batfamily" that players will control, consisting of multiple members of Batman's team and followers, all working together to fight crime collectively. Considering the strangely vague ending of Batman: Arkham Knight, the final title in the Arkham series, this could be a similar continuity to the one originally planned to follow the series.

Batman: Arkham Knight's true ending

Fans who may be unaware of the "true ending" of Akham Knight would certainly be forgiven for having never seen the secret scene that capped off the series. Most players likely would have stopped after seeing the normal ending, and even the few who would have kept playing beyond that might not have had the patience to find over two hundred Riddler Trophies just to get an extra thirty second cutscene. However, players who did manage to gain a 100% completion for the game, putting every villain behind bars before retiring to Wayne Manor, were treated with a vague allusion at some possible sequel bating.

Batman: Arkham Knight's original ending plays out on the low note of Bruce Wayne outing himself as Batman before returning to Wayne Manor as the building explodes. Players who completed the extra content, however, were treated to a sort of Scarecrow-like resurrection of Batman, as a seemingly fear-toxin induced vision shows two criminals a burning silhouette of Batman exploding through a nearby building. It's difficult to say what this secret ending meant, as five years later, fans were never given an explanation of the scene through either DLC or a follow up game that is still waiting to be announced by Warner Bros. Interactive.

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Batfamily

With the new game reportedly diverging from the Arkham series, as opposed to being a direct sequel to the oddly vague ending of Batman: Arkham Knight, it could turn out that the fiery silhouette could be a new member of this Batfamily. Considering the way that Bruce Wayne "retired" from his role as Batman once he was outed, and due to the revelation that his actions had spurred the motivations of the game's villains, this new character could be successor. This would allow the series to take that "soft reboot" idea that has been getting passed around, without being a direct sequel to the Bruce Wayne storyline.

Bruce Wayne is done, either dead or in hiding, while people that he may have either trusted or inspired have taken on the mantle of this Batfamily to protect Gotham. This could also lead into the connected DC Universe, as more superheros come sweeping in to fill the power vacuum that Bruce Wayne created when he stepped down to take on whichever Batman villain steps up while the Dark Knight is away. Of course, the term "soft reboot" could always just be a way of Warner Bros. Interactive holding onto the basic gameplay mechanics of the Arkham series, while taking a complete departure with the story.

The new Batman's direction

batman video game court of owls

If there is some merit to the idea that the rumored new Batman title will be an off-shooting continuation of the world of the Arkham series, expanding into a larger DC Universe, then that still leaves the question of what direction it will take. Some rumors and leaks indicate that the Court of Owls may appear as the new villainous presence in the next game, a welcome departure from how Joker focused the previous titles in the series have been. This would actually work fairly well with having an entire team, or Batfamily, working together to bring down the group of elite villains and wealthy, mask wearing members of the Court.

Looking at the expansion into a larger DC Universe as well, the Court of Owls is often referenced to be a Gotham specific, however, there are instances of the hidden community branching out on an international stage. If this is the setup that the new Batman game is preparing for, then this might be something that fans would likely think was well worth the wait. Although, whatever connection it may have to the end of Batman: Arkham Knight is still up in the air, but there is room that this fight against a secret organization from the shadows like the rumors seem to be pointing to could be what that cryptic appearance of the burning silhouette could have been moving towards.

A new Batman game is rumored to be in development.

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