WB Games Montreal told that they chose to have Gotham Knights start with a dead Batman in a way to take away “any certainty, any feeling of safety” in its world.
While talking at DC FanDome, during the Legacy of the Bat panel, the director Patrick Redding explained about the Gotham Knights’ Batman. For around 15 years, he has been fighting crime, and being killed in still-unexplained circumstances.
“We wanted to take away any certainty, any feeling of safety,” Redding explained. “So we could take a Gotham City where Bruce Wayne has been operating as Batman for, like, 15 years – with all that history, his whole network of allies – and then take him out of the picture. It really demands players figure out, ‘How would I step up, and how would I protect Gotham City?'”
Even the trailer of game’s begin by suggesting a disaster has hit Gotham, with Bruce Wayne apparently in the rubble, found dead. A message was sent to his proteges regarding his death and tells them that the Batcave has been ruined, but now the Belfry will act as their new base of operations. Robin Red, Hood, Batgirl and Nightwing then became the Gotham Knights.
However, the Batman may be messaged as dead at the beginning of the game, though that’s not necessarily going to remain the case. There are a other options here – Rocksteady’s Arkham Knight ended with Bruce Wayne by simply faking his own death, for instance.
WB Games Montreal has selected an whole different timeline for Gotham Knights. But, without even that story point to lean on. Previously, the Court of Owls (who will be an enemy faction) also has been involved in resurrection in their comic book appearances. And with five massive borough’s to explore. Thus, Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pit would sit just waiting to be used somewhere under the dark underbelly of Gotham.
