UPDATE: 2025-06-23 19:00 EST BY GLENN BUNN
Batman: Arkham Shadow Timeline, Gameplay, And Actor Confirmed
In an interview withKinda Funny, Ryan Payton of developer Camouflaj confirmedBatman: Arkham Shadowwould take place betweenArkham OriginsandArkham Asylum,with Roger Craig Smith reprising the role. He also confirmed more Freeflow-esque combat and a game length akin toBatman: Arkham Asylum.
Original article below.
Summary
A new trailer forBatman: Arkham Shadowhas been revealed atSummer Game Fest. The game returns to the Arkhamverse’s Gotham for the first time since 2016’sBatman: Arkham VR. The new Meta Quest 3 exclusive title was previously announced in May, withIron Man VRdeveloper Camouflaj and Oculus Studiosworking in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC.
The new story trailer atSummer Game Fest2024 confirmed a Fall 2024 release date and revealed the game’s villain, called The Rat King.
Whilethe initial trailerfocused on re-introducing the Arkhamverse’s atmospheric version of Gotham with brief teases to its story, the new one focused heavily on howThe Rat King, who seems to be a take on the comic villain Ratcatcher with a very similar costume and gimmick, will be terrorizing Gotham, following the various rat teases in the initial reveal.
When Batman: Arkham Shadow Takes Place On The Series’ Timeline
Batman: Arkham Shadow, a new VR Meta Quest 3 exclusive, set between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum, hints that Ratcatcher may be a central villain.
When Could Batman: Arkham Shadow Be Taking Place?
There Are Several Hints That It Could Be Earlier In The Arkham Timeline
The trailer also seemed to tease a return to the Arkhamverse sometime followingBatman: Arkham Origins, and presumably beforeBatman: Arkham Asylum, asthe Dark Knight’s narration seemed to be by Roger Craig Smith, who played the character in WB Games Montreal’s prequel.This has yet to be officially confirmed by the studio or the actor, although Smith did promoteArkham Shadowon hisInstagrampage, further suggesting his involvement. A younger version of Commissioner Jim Gordon could be seen in a brief clip, along with a character that could be an early version of Scarecrow and Harleen Quinzel before her villainous turn, further backing up this theory. The original announcement had further clues, such as a “Vote Dent” badge that suggested Harvey Dent has yet to transform into the villainous Two-Face.
The ending toBatman: Arkham Knightseemed to bring Batman’s story to a close untilSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueshowed Bruce Wayne stepping out into the spotlight once again tojoin the superhero team. As Batman moved to Metropolis in that time, andArkham Shadowclearly takes place in Gotham,it seems more likely that this entry will be venturing back in time, and fortunately, there’s a big enough window to play with as it is believed that the length of time betweenArkham OriginsandArkham Asylumis about five to seven years.
Fortunately, with a Fall 2024 release date, Meta Quest 3 players won’t have to wait too much longer to see how exactly the game’s story unfolds. The Arkhamverse’s previous venture into VR withBatman: Arkham VRfocused more on the detective aspect to the Dark Knight mainly due to the limitations of VR hardware of the time, but considering the work that developer Camouflaj did onIron Man VRwhere players could soar through the skies as the Marvel superhero and engage in thrilling battles, there’s plenty of potential for Batman fans to really feel like they are stepping into the role of Gotham’s protector with combat and better traversal inBatman: Arkham Shadow.
