Rocksteady Reportedly Cut Justice League Pitch for Batman Return

A new rumor about the next Batman: Arkham project is circulating, and if it proves true, Rocksteady Studios is returning to the series that made its name. An insider account claims the studio weighed several ideas, including a Batman Beyond pitch and a Justice League project, before settling on Bruce Wayne again.

None of this is confirmed, so treat it with a healthy dose of skepticism. Below is a full rundown of what has been said about the Rocksteady Batman game, what it could mean for the Arkham series, and when you might realistically get to play it.

This comes from a DC-focused source that says Warner Bros. Games has an update on Rocksteady, particularly its next major project. The idea is that you could soon get a clearer picture of what the studio has been building behind closed doors.

It also sounds like the team entertained some pretty ambitious concepts before it committed to the Rocksteady Batman game.

According to the insider, the Batman Beyond idea that fans heard about earlier never made it past the planning stage. The company reportedly also discussed a Justice League game, but that one didn't move forward either. It is worth thinking about what a Justice League game from this studio could have looked like.

Rocksteady already built a detailed superhero world across its Arkham trilogy, so seeing that same approach used on Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and the rest of the League would have been something to see. Sadly, if the source is accurate, neither project got far.

An insider claims that after discussions involving James Gunn and the heads of Rocksteady and NetherRealm Studios, they decided to play it safe and return to a familiar character. That character is Batman. The rough reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League reportedly influenced the decision to return to the studio's roots.

Rocksteady built its reputation on Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight, and those three games helped make it one of the best superhero action developers. Returning to Batman could be exactly what the studio needs. That backlash around Suicide Squad matters here.

After Suicide Squad, Rocksteady has something to prove, and returning to Batman is the most direct way to do it.

If the Rocksteady Batman game lands well, it could repair a lot of goodwill with the fans who loved the earlier entries. This is where it gets more interesting. The new Rocksteady Batman game once again has Bruce Wayne as the main protagonist, rather than Terry McGinnis, who would have led a Batman Beyond game.

It is also set in Gotham City, with a map that aims to be the largest version of the city in any Batman game. The Batmobile is returning as well, but it will differ from the one you drove in Arkham Knight. They don't explain how, so you will need to wait for more details before drawing conclusions.

Ideally, Rocksteady finds a more interesting balance between driving the Batmobile and traditional Batman gameplay this time around. The Batmobile was an ambitious addition to Arkham Knight, but giving you more freedom to explore Gotham City as Batman himself could make the Rocksteady Batman game feel far more rewarding.

On timing, the insider estimates the Rocksteady Batman game could land sometime between 2028 and 2029. That is still a long way off, especially since Warner Bros. Games has not officially announced the project. Still, if Rocksteady is building a brand-new Batman experience, it makes sense for the studio to take its time and get it right.

Taken together, the insider paints a picture of a Rocksteady Batman game built around Bruce Wayne, set in a sprawling Gotham, with a reworked Batmobile and a launch still a couple of years out. Moving over to NetherRealm, the same source has another interesting rumor.

The studio is said to be planning a reveal of its next major game at The Game Awards in December 2026.

If that holds, the game could arrive in May 2027, which would line up with Injustice 2's 10th anniversary. Since Injustice 2 launched in 2017, a May 2027 release would mark a full decade. That timing raises a few questions. Fans have been waiting years to see what NetherRealm does next, and plenty of people expect a return to either Mortal Kombat or Injustice.

The insider suggests otherwise, pointing to an entirely new DC fighting game rather than a direct follow-up to Injustice 2. From here it gets speculative. A Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe-style crossover is one possibility, and it would bring a huge roster and brutal matchups from both worlds. That is only a guess, though. Nothing officially confirms such a project exists, so don't treat it as proof a crossover is happening.

Another X account has added to the discussion around the Rocksteady Batman game. It reportedly responded to the original post, saying its source claims the new Arkham game only entered major development in 2025. If that is true, the 2028 to 2029 window may not be as unrealistic as some people believe. The same account did question whether Rocksteady could deliver the biggest Gotham City ever made in that timeframe.

Still, it would be unwise to rule it out completely. Rocksteady could build on technology, assets, and design ideas from its earlier Arkham games instead of starting everything from scratch. Arkham Knight already delivered a substantial version of Gotham, and the studio could use parts of that foundation while rebuilding and expanding the city for modern hardware.

Unreal Engine 5 helps, but building something as huge as Gotham still takes time.

The rumored use of Unreal Engine 5 could also help the developers create a more detailed environment, though moving to Unreal Engine 5 doesn't automatically speed up development. Unreal Engine 5 gives studios better tools, but a large open city still takes serious time and manpower.

Ultimately, a lot depends on the game's actual scope, how long full production has been underway, and whether Rocksteady is making a sequel, a reboot, or something entirely different. That is another big question without an answer.

You still don't know whether the Rocksteady Batman game continues the original Arkham storyline, serves as a prequel to Arkham Asylum, or resets the whole franchise. There is even talk of a connection to the DC Universe run by James Gunn, though that is unconfirmed too. Until Warner Bros. Games officially reveals the project, the direction stays unclear.

It also helps to remember that 2025 was a big year of restructuring for Warner Bros. Games, and the company has several major franchises it could prioritize over the next few years. Hogwarts Legacy 2 is another highly anticipated project, and Batman remains one of Warner Bros. ' most valuable properties. Even with Hogwarts Legacy 2 competing for attention, the publisher could back both.

None of these reports about the Rocksteady Batman game are confirmed, but a return to Gotham City makes business sense.

One more detail is worth mentioning. The same source reportedly says WB Games Montréal is developing a Superman game. If that's true, Warner Bros. could be looking at a much bigger future for its DC games alongside James Gunn's wider universe, with both a Superman game and a Batman game as major projects. Even so, until those games are officially announced, treat the Superman game as speculation.

Some fans want the Arkham storyline to continue from where it left off, others want a complete reboot, and a few are still holding out for a Batman Beyond game. On the fighting side, some would be thrilled with a new NetherRealm DC title, while others would rather have Injustice 3 or a new Mortal Kombat. Either way, nothing about the Rocksteady Batman game is official yet, so the best move is to wait for the publisher to say something.