Batman: Arkham Shadow Announced

Batman: Arkham Shadow, a new game in the Batman: Arkham series, has been revealed. Following Rocksteady’s work on Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015, the studio ended up creating a spin-off in Batman: Arkham VR the following year. Despite only initially being for PlayStation VR devices, Arkham VR was incredibly well-received and was one of the first must-have games for the headset. Now, nearly eight years after Arkham VR, a new virtual-based experience is set to arrive later this year with Batman: Arkham Shadow. 

Announced today with a brief teaser trailer (viewable at the top of the page), Batman: Arkham Shadow was unveiled by WB Games. Created by Camouflaj and Oculus Studios, details on the project are still sparse for the time being, but Arkham Shadow is said to take place within the same universe as the main Arkham series which includes Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight. The game is in the works exclusively for Meta Quest 3 and will release at some point before the end of 2024. As for its full reveal, Meta says that it will have more information to share for Arkham Shadow on June 7 at Summer Game Fest. 

“Evil stalks the streets. Gotham City is in danger. And you’re the only one who can save it,” says the game’s synopsis. “Prepare to enter Gotham for a new story set in the Batman: Arkham franchise on Meta Quest 3 in late 2024.”

When it comes to what Batman: Arkham Shadow will center around, all signs currently point to Ratcatcher being the game’s main antagonist. The initial teaser trailer for Arkham Shadow sees a horde of rats attacking Batman at its conclusion before the logo for the title appears. Additionally, key art for Arkham Shadow that has also been released features rats in a prominent manner, with one such image even seeming to contain Ratcatcher’s mask on the left side. 

As for its place in the larger Arkham series, it will be interesting to see where Batman: Arkham Shadow falls in the franchise’s timeline. Earlier this year, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was released and took place within the same universe as the Arkham series. However, Suicide Squad being tethered to the “Arkhamverse” is something that drew criticism from many fans, primarily due to how the game’s story handled its characters. Regardless, both Suicide Squad and Arkham Shadow seem to indicate that WB Games is very much not done with the Arkham franchise just yet. 

How do you feel about this reveal of Batman: Arkham Shadow? Are you interested in playing a new Batman experience that has been crafted specifically for Meta Quest 3, or would you prefer a game more in line with the core series of games? Let me know your own thoughts over on social media at @MooreMan12.