It seems by every passing year Rocksteady's game becomes more and more anticipated. As June approaches each year fans become worked up at the possibility of seeing the reveal of Rocksteady's next game, which would likely be Batman or DC Comics related. Sadly, these same fans are disappointed as another show goes by without even a scent of what Rocksteady's been cooking up since the last piece of downloadable content dropped for Batman: Arkham Knight. Luckily there's a new rumor about their game every couple of months, so let's look at 10 of these rumors about Rocksteady's next (Arkham?) game.
10 Superman
If you were even partially following the rumor mill during the weeks leading up to E3 2018 then you would have heard the rumor sites lose their mind as clues starting surfacing regarding a possible Superman game from Rocksteady. Though concept art featuring the caped crusader has leaked via artist portfolios on the internet, it doesn't confirm that Rocksteady's next game will in-fact feature Clark Kent's alter ego counterpart. Superman has never had a good game, so is Rocksteady working towards doing the impossible?
9 It's Not Batman
Rumors surrounding Rocksteady have included Superman, The Flash, and the Justice League as possible focuses for their next trilogy of games possibly taking place in the Arkham universe they already fleshed out and established in their 3 Batman titles.
As a studio who set a new standard for superhero games and delivered Batman fans multiple games with an overarching narrative, it's possible Rocksteady is overdoing Batman games. The next challenge for them could likely revolve around another DC character Warner Bros. wants them to thrust into the spotlight, but whom could it be?
8 Joint Project With WB Montreal
Rocksteady has been the focus of DC Comics fans in the land of video games due to them developing a trilogy of Batman games that set the new standard for superhero licensed games. WB Montreal, however, has also been quiet and rumors regarding their next project have also been all over the place. Is it possible that both of these studios have been equally quiet because they're working on a giant AAA DC game similar to Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers? There is plenty to suggest that Warner Bros. may have pushed both teams to work in tandem on a blockbuster DC title.
7 Suicide Squad
The rumor that WB Montreal and/or Rocksteady were at some point working on a Suicide Squad game makes sense if you consider how confident DC was in the movie of the same name. The project was likely greenlit parallel to the movie coming together, and once the film was released to mostly negative reception, Warner Bros. likely pulled the plug on the game. Rocksteady is owned by Warner Bros. and considering how well they did with Batman, Warner Bros. likely looked to them as the ones with the highest chance of success in pulling off a game featuring a team comprised of villains.
6 Roadblock After Roadblock
Rocksteady has seen a tremendous amount of success thanks in large part of accomplishing the almost impossible task of releasing a trilogy of games that are all great in their own right. For a studio with the type of consistent success, Rocksteady has had it's hard to believe they could be experiencing any type of development hell.
The reality of the matter is that game development is difficult and the fact that they're rumored to have had multiple projects scrapped means they've had to restart numerous times if true. Maybe they've taken so long simply due to resetting several times.
5 Justice League
So, a joint project between Rocksteady and WB Montreal would likely be something large in scale and require both teams to work together to accomplish such a herculean feat. A game and setting that would require that type of attention would likely feature players taking on the role of various characters, so a Justice League game could be a logical conclusion. Skeptics feel that a Justice League game would only make sense in the Arkham universe if Rocksteady first tried their hand at Superman.
4 Damian Wayne Batman
Over the last couple of years, the rumor of a Batman game where you play as Bruce Wayne's son Damian has been the topic of conversation whenever Rocksteady Games is mentioned. Many Arkham fans will outright dismiss the validity of the rumor despite evidence to the contrary simply due to not wanted to play as Damian Wayne. Despite being his canonical son, Batman fans often opt to a previous Robin as their first choice to play as if Bruce Wayne isn't an option. Could a Batman game where you don't play as Bruce Wayne succeed?
3 Bat Family
With Rocksteady delivering 3 AAA games where players primarily play as Bruce Wayne, how shocking would it be for them to take the next step and bring together the whole Bat family? Though they all have very similar skill sets, allowing players to take on various Bat-related characters as they work together could really offer a unique experience for fans of the Arkham games.
This could provide players with new gameplay experiences while at the same time giving Rocksteady a new challenge to overcome in delivering premiere Batman entertainment.
2 Moving Away From Arkham
When a studio gets known for a specific franchise it can be tough to creatively find the inspiration when you work in the same world for almost a decade. Despite the roaring success of their 3 Batman games taking place in the same Arkham universe, it might be time for a change of scenery. This is why the rumors suggesting different heroes as their focus for their next title are so plentiful. Development teams love to explore new territories and take risks. With Rocksteady delivering 3 incredible Arkham experiences, were they afforded the creative freedom to try something completely different?
1 Waiting For Next-Gen
At this point, with the tease of the next PlayStation console, and Phil Spencer confirming that Xbox's new console Project Scarlett would be releasing Holiday 2020, it seems that Rocksteady's game at the very least will be a cross-generation title. Game development is a process that takes years, and many times 3rd party developers and publishers don't find out about consoles until 8-12 months before they release. Rocksteady has likely been working on their next big release, but due to the scope has likely shifted to taking advantage of the new hardware and holding it for the next-generation.