A lot of buzz was created by the announcement of WB Games Montreal's new Gotham Knights game at a virtual event in August 2020. Since then, details have been fairly sparse, but a recent teaser revealed more of the game and, more importantly, what gamers can expect to come up against. The Official Court of Owls story trailer confirmed that the secretive mythical society will be a primary antagonist in Gotham Knights, but there are also other significant factions that players will be tackling to make Gotham safe.
The Batman: Arkham Origins developers have been teasing details for months now, and gamers are keen for as much information as they can get about the latest Batman game. With gameplay clips, glimpses of the story, and a look at the four playable characters, gamers have had just enough to speculate over. After several delays and setbacks, Gotham Knights is confirmed for release next year, so players won't have long to wait until they can check out the highly-anticipated game for themselves.
Gotham Knights' Villains: What We Know So Far
While the news of five villain factions is exciting for gamers, it's clear that the main antagonists are DC series staples, the Court of Owls. With some of the most impressive villains in comic book history, DC certainly has plenty of baddies to choose from. Batman has some of the most iconic antagonists from the DC stable, and the Court of Owls is definitely up there with the creepiest.
The secretive and near-mythic society of Gotham City's elite was first revealed in the New 52 comic book relaunch in 2011, and is responsible for controlling the flow of wealth in the city as it strives to achieve its various ends. They have worked in the background for centuries, shaping Gotham and directing the tide of politics and industry from the shadows. With their origins dating back long before Gotham was established as a city, there's no doubt the entrenched secret sect will pose a real threat for the caped heroes.
Along with the prominent role the Court of Owls will likely play in Gotham Knights, players know that the action role-playing game will center on the familiar faces of some of the Bat-family — Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, Robin/Tim Drake, and Red Hood/Jason Todd. The Dark Knight's former proteges and partners will be taking over the mantle of the caped crusader after his apparent death, as well as the death of beloved Police Commissioner Jim Gordon.
Gotham will be an open world that players can explore as either of the four characters and with the game designed for co-op play, gamers will be encouraged to team up to take down enemies. Players will be able to seamlessly switch between the characters, utilizing all of their skills and unique powers during combat. As these characters, gamers will patrol the five district boroughs of Gotham, facing up to various enemies and villains along the way.
Who Are The In-Game Enemies?
In addition to the fearsome and nefarious Court of Owls, it looks like players will be coming up against their deadly assassins, the Talons. In the first Gotham Knights trailer, an eerie child recites in a sing-song voice "no one talks about them. Not a whisper word is said. For if you try to crush them, then the talon strikes you dead."
In the comics, the Talons are quasi-supernatural assassins imbued with a chemical compound that not only gave them metahuman strength and dexterity but also granted them regenerative powers that let them heal from wounds and even on occasion death. The deadly Talons came equipped with claw-like blades that let them slice and stab any opponent, making them a fearsome enemy for Batman and his team of partners. As well as their comic book origins, the Court of Owls featured in the Gotham TV series and a Talon assassin featured briefly in Lego DC Super-Villains as an unlockable character.
According to the official Gotham Knights website, after the death of Batman a "new, expansive criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham City." In a posthumous message to the four playable characters, Batman urged them to come together to stop the rise in crime and take care of his city and stop it from descending into anarchy.
With five district boroughs to patrol, it's likely that each of the five factions may hold sway over a part of the city, with various thugs and higher-ups for the bat-family to face as they fight to keep the streets safe and hope alive for Gotham's citizens. However, with the knowledge that the Court of Owls plays a large part in the events of the game, it's possible that they'll be the puppetmasters behind the rise in crime throughout the city as they seek to gain control in the power vacuum caused by the demise of both Batman and the incorruptible Jim Gordon.
What Players Expect From Gotham Knights
From the gameplay trailer, players know that the permanently frosty Mr. Freeze will be one of the antagonists they'll be expected to face during the course of the game. In a mission that showed Batgirl team up with Robin to take on Mr. Freeze and a weather-controlling system at the top of Elliot Center, the two masked heroes battle various lackeys on their way up to face the supervillain. Although Mr. Freeze is hardly a crime boss and usually works solo, it's possible he may head up one of the five factions.
With the official site promising that players will be "defeating notorious villains in epic confrontations," it's a safe bet that he'll be joined by other well-known franchise antagonists. In the DC Fandome trailer, the Penguin seemed like more of a reluctant ally than an antagonist as he warned Nightwing about the Court of Owls. In this guise, it's unlikely that he'll be the head of another one of the factions, but there are still plenty of options in the Batman canon. Various Easter Eggs in the teasers and glimpses that WB has provided players so far hint at a series of other villains and enemies that could be included.
With the teaser image of the Gotham Gazette announcing the collapse of Wayne Manor, those with a keen eye will not only spot that the writer of the piece is reporter Vicki Vale, but that the owners of the newspaper are in fact the Elliot family — a name already familiar from the gameplay trailer. The name may also be familiar to Batman fans, who might suspect it points to Batman villain Hush, otherwise known as Dr. Thomas Elliot. In the classified section of the same newspaper, there was an advertisement for a job at Falcone Enterprises, pointing to infamous Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Another potential antagonist or faction leader could be Ra's Al Ghul, the cold and calculating international criminal mastermind and leader of the League of Assassins. With a large swathe of lackeys already under his control, he could be a formidable faction leader. Similarly, players have speculated whether or not Two-Face may also make an appearance, as some hints have suggested. These are, of course, just speculations at this point, but with 2022 fast approaching it's likely players' curiosity will soon be sated with the steady reveal of the other 4 factions that players will face along with the Court of Owls.
Gotham Knights releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.