Interview: Aquaman Swims His Way Into DC Universe Online

For years, DC Universe Onlinehas been entertaining fans with its many heroes and villains, as well as its widely interactive universe, in which all sorts of events take place. And this past weekend, a huge name joined the party – Aquaman.

The aquatic hero has been introduced into the game alongside his collective family, in a new episode titled Deluge, which is available for play now. And along with the new characters coming into the game, players will be able to explore a number of new environments based within the underwater universe.

To get more insight as to what’s been added to this expansion, we chatted with creative director SJ “NerdofPrey” Mueller about what challenges the team faced putting Aquaman’s world into the game, as well as what else players can expect from this latest entry.

Bringing In Aquaman the Right Way

Why do you think it took so long for Aquaman to get incorporated into the game? Were there challenges with his character or was it just a matter of waiting for the right timing (with his movie)?

Aquaman has been a part of the DCUO line-up since launch, but we recently updated the character model with the release of Deluge. He looks absolutely incredible standing alongside his beloved, Mera, a more recent addition to the game. As for timing, I think this is definitely going to be a big year for the King of the Seven Seas.

Tell us about Deluge, and how its storyline will blend in with DCUO.

Deluge is our first full Episode featuring the Aquaman family, putting the Atlanteans center stage. However, last year, we did an extremely popular event featuring Starro the evil, intergalactic starfish which included the Atlanteans. We decided to bring the event back and use it as a diving board into a much deeper story inspired by the Aquaman: Rebirth series.

In these recent stories, Aquaman and the nobility are challenged by an insurrectionist group called The Deluge, led by Corum Rath. Deluge is also an Event, so anyone level 10 and up can play this for a limited time.

Black Manta Has a Grudge…

We’ll also be seeing some other familiar characters from the “Aquaman family” join the fray, including Black Manta and Mera. What can we expect from them? Will Black Manta still have his differences with Aquaman or…?

“Differences” is quite the understatement! Black Manta definitely has it in for Aquaman. Players can expect to go toe-to-toe with Black Manta in a very tactical fight that requires group coordination. They’ll also cross paths with Ocean Master, Aquaman’s half-brother and Corum Rath, leader of the Deluge. Mera, Queen of the Sea, will take the heroes on this journey and do her best to stop the villains from usurping the throne of Atlantis.

Would you say the game’s character is closer to the comic books, or Jason Momoa’s version from Justice Leagueand the upcoming film? And what was the most important thing about putting together their character models within the game?

Like many of our characters and locations, Aquaman is mostly inspired by the comic books, particularly Aquaman: Rebirth. We tend to lean towards the most iconic and well-known version of characters of this magnitude. But, trust me, our Aquaman is no push-over. He’s tall, brave, and relentless in a fight.

Inspiration and Environments

Tell us about the environments we’ll be seeing in Deluge. We know the Atlantean Spindrift Station will be included, but is there a possibility that more of Atlantis could be around the corner? What was the biggest challenge in putting these together?

Spindrift Station is our biggest, most beautiful Atlantean environment to date. Before players get to Spindrift, they’ll visit an ancient proto-Atlantean temple – a deep sea cave that houses an ancient and dangerous weapon. As far as challenges go, making environments that feature water is always tricky. People expect water to move and look a certain way and can immediately recognize if it doesn’t look quite right. Spindrift was our first new environment post PS3, so we were allowed to be little “extra” and take the FX and textures to places we’ve never been able to go before.

How did the Aquaman stories of the past inspire you to put together Deluge? Will there be certain things that fans notice as the story goes on?

Aquaman’s journey in DCUO is not without struggle, always trying to do what is best for his people. Having connections to both the surface and the sea, he’s constantly trying to broker a peace between the two worlds. The Deluge will be his biggest obstacle yet, for they and their leader, Corum Rath have no interest in a peace with the surface.

Aquaman’s Greatest Strength, and Family

Where would you like to see Aquaman go next within the game? Are there other heroes he could likely team up with, or is he staying close to his “family”?

Aquaman is a big part of the Justice League, so he’s always ready to assist his fellows. However, where we really want to take Aquaman next is even deeper below the surface.

Finally, what would you say is Aquaman’s greatest ability? Can he, in fact, talk to fish?

Aquaman’s greatest strength is his persistence! And he’ll persistently remind people that he doesn’t really talk to fish.

DC Universe Online is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.